Smile (With Teeth)
by RaNdOmLeTtErShErE
Summary: Joker inadvertently saves a kid from a real monster. He decides, on a whim, to keep her around until the novelty of it wears off...or he kills her. Whichever comes first.
1. Chapter 1

**A/N: This is a weird story I started writing when I was recovering from the flu. I continued it... If you have read my other story, well this one is different. there is a bit of time jumping.. but not much, the story moves right along to catch up his memories and the present time...so... yeah...**

* * *

_~She comes along_

_She gets inside_

_She makes you better than anything you've tried_

_It's in her kiss_

_The blackest sea_

_And it runs deeper than you_

_Dare to dream it could be~_

_~Nine Inch Nails~_

* * *

_Present_

* * *

Joker didn't have many attachments as a rule. He had grown attached to his knives, but they were useful. It wasn't the actual knife, but the _use_ of them. They were fairly disposable. He only had a few addictions. Bloodlust, oh, he enjoyed_ that_ one. The thrill of the chase and the power of the control he had as he held a person's life in his hands. He got excited about the thought of it.

He had been released, _unofficially_, from Arkham, when some guy in a mask took over the city. He had been in that damned nuthouse for years, barely coherent. They had him on a rigorous regimen of narcotics. One shot to dull his mind, one to slow his body, a few antipsychotics, and even sleeping pills. When the strange man had taken over, the meds stopped abruptly. Joker sat alone in his cell going through a detox. He's not sure when the door was opened, maybe while he was still drugged, maybe not. All that mattered was the cell door was open when he was _almost_ himself again.

He got up and made his way to the storage room. He found his old clothes there, they were a bit baggy and smelled like dust. Better than running around naked he mused. He had dressed and walked out of the front door. The first thing he needed was a ride. The city was different. Joker was unsure if he _liked_ that. He had found out that the man had been beaten, but Batman had been killed in the process. That had put him in a _really_ bad mood.

He had found his way back to the Narrows and started to feel better. He was home again, the stink of poverty and death was thick in the Narrows. He had wandered around, his memory still a bit fuzzy recovering from the near comatose state the City of Gotham kept him in for God knows how long.

He had felt a bit more like himself each day that passed. When his mind began to race from topic to topic, and the ideas began again, he remembered his old hideout. His secret place. He was headed there now. It was a long walk from where he is now. He laughed at the mess he was in. This was madness at it's finest.

He walked up to the rusty looking gate, admiring the 'abandoned' building behind it. Yes, this was what he needed. He'd been walking aimlessly the last few weeks, sleeping a few hours here and there. His now almost manic state afforded him no sleep for the last two days. He reached behind the condemned sign and felt the lock there. He needed the key, where had he put the key? He stood there for who knows how long before the memory returned.

He laughed, he thought he might have been killed or worse captured and had hidden the key where it would die with him. He reached into his pocket and grabbed his knife. He flicked the blade to its fullest and raised his shirt. This was gonna hurt, He felt the area around one of his numerous scars and BINGO, there it was. Joker smiled as he made a small incision in his side. He dropped the knife and watched for a minute as his own deep red blood began to run from the small cut.

He grabbed the object under the skin and squeezed, he smiled as the small key, covered in a silicone film, began to push through the opening. He winced as the object pushed through, stretching his skin. He figured this was as close to childbirth as he ever wanted to get. He laughed aloud to his own musings. The pain helping the fragmented thoughts slowly pull back together. The key slid free and he pulled it the rest of the way from his body.

The silicone film was disgusting, his body had tried to add it to him, permanently, the gore still attached. He was fascinated by the sight. He peeled the key from the protective coating and smiled. Pretty as the day he had put it in there. He unlocked the gate and stepped inside, reengaging the lock from the other side.

He moved up to the door and let himself in, Home sweet home. It was dusty but warm and familiar. He had found this place a long time ago, after he first came to the Narrows, it was a burned out apartment building. He claimed it as his own. The top floor was blackened rubble, he had boarded off. The other floors were fine, he'd fixed up a few of the rooms to his liking.

After his run-in with the Mobs, he'd used his hard-earned (_Stolen_) cash to buy the building and made it his own. Amazing what you could do in this town with a fake ID and a _lot_ of cash. He moved to the apartment that was his personal space. He flicked on the light and it looked untouched. He grunted and made his way to the corner. He had made his own hidey-hole over here for emergencies.

The floorboard came up easy enough, letting him reach the shoe box inside. When he pulled it out it had damn near disintegrated in his hands. He flipped the lid and smiled. His old fake ID having him listed as Mr. Joe White. He cackled at the silliness of it. He had a few other documents inside and a large wad of cash. He put the ID and the money in his pocket. The other papers were left in the box and shoved back under the floor.

He moved to the small bathroom and took off his coat and a, now stained, shirt. He would have to stitch his side back up. He found his old first aid kit in the restroom. He was smart enough to keep this thing fully stocked. His line of work tended to be, well, _messy_. He pulled the small plastic package out, setting it down on the counter. Then bandages and a few alcohol wipes.

He cleaned the area, and with a smile on his face stitched his side back up. He looked at the small even stitches, proud that he hadn't lost his touch. He cleaned up the mess and slapped the bandage over the stitches, not wanting his clothes to catch and pull them.

Joker was unsure if it was the warmth of the apartment of the familiarity of his own place, but he felt sleepy. He pulled off the dust-covered blanket and laid on the musty, but clean sheets. Sleep came fast and he was dead to the world. He didn't dream, well, if he did, he didn't remember it. His eyes shot open and he looked around, feeling disoriented.

He got up, eyes still darting around the empty room, finally remembering he was in _his_ place. He stretched himself, scratching and stood up. He looked around and smacked his lips. The day was young, the sun had barely risen and he moved to his closet and found his clothes still hung inside. He pulled the clean clothes out. He needed a shower. He still smelled like the hospital, and sweat. He washed up and quickly got dressed. He needed to go out into the city and get some work done.

He headed to the door and paused for a second, he noticed something he hadn't noticed before. The dust on the steps leading upstairs had footprints in them, smaller than his. He felt a flicker of memory, but it wasn't solid. He decided to check it out before he left. He slowly moved up the stairs, following the footprints. Making sure not to make a sound, he moved up to a door on the second floor. The footprints moved past the door.

He turned the doorknob and slid in silently. The room was dark but the light was on in the bathroom. Joker pulled his knife, who the hell was in his safe house? He looked around the apartment, it was barren, but the prints moved from the door to the bedroom and then stopped. This room was clean, the floor clear of dust. It even smelled _nice_. He walked further into the room and towards the bathroom door.

He couldn't hear anything, no shower or running water. He moved to turn the knob, knife gripped in his other hand. He opened the door and froze at the sight. It was a woman, she was undressing, getting ready to take a shower. He watched as she leaned into the tub and turned on the water, testing the temperature. Pulling the latch for the shower to start, the woman turned, her eyes went wide and then narrowed.

Joker hadn't moved, she seemed familiar, but he was sure he had never seen this woman before. He looked not at her naked state but his gaze was locked on her eyes. One green, bright and vibrant. The other a deep rich brown. Now those, he thought, those were familiar.

The woman walked closer to him, he tilted his head, like the new position would help his memory. A memory tickled at his mind. She had stopped moving forward when his head tilted. He still was focused on her eyes. That's when a thought came to him, he looked confused but said aloud, "Peach?"

The word sent the woman into a frenzy, she slapped him across his face. Hard. The pain sent a jolt of pleasure/pain straight to his groin. He growled in his throat. She was looking at him now, eyes watering, then she spoke, "You left me." She slapped him again, "You promised."

* * *

_Before_

* * *

Joker was in pain, the escape from the Asylum had been easier than he thought it would be. He had killed a guard, though not before the guy had gotten a few solid hits into Joker's ribs. After the fight, he swapped his uniform, and whistled as he walked out the front gates. He walked to the guard's car and started it. The drive was pleasant. Joker had been thrown into Arkham after the damned Batman had saved him from splatting, just to try to lock him up.

The thought was maddening, he didn't want to think about _that _bit of betrayal. He drove towards the safe house and decided to stop for some food. The grub at the asylum was a joke. He smiled at the thought of real food. He found a greasy looking diner and pulled in. The guard's wallet had a bit of cash but also a few credit cards.

He moved into the diner and ordered a few large meals. The waitress looked at him, then moved to put his order to the cook. Within minutes his food was in front of him. He dug in enthusiastically. The food was greasy, a bit overcooked and the best food he'd eaten in weeks. He ate every bit and set back, leaning his head on the back of the booth.

"Anything else?" the waitress asked as she removed some of the plates.

"Oh no, toots, I'm stuffed." He said laughing.

The waitress blushed and dropped his ticket on the table. She moved the dirty dishes to the back. When she returned to the table she smiled, Joker had left enough cash on the table for the ticket and a hefty tip.

Joker decided to ditch the car at the diner and decided to walk the rest of the way to his safe house. He was walking down the darkened street and enjoying life at the moment. His mind was racing like crazy. He had a lot to get going if he was going to teach the Bat. He was a few blocks away from the apartment building when he heard screaming. The sound pulled him from his thoughts, a frown now on his face. Usually, he enjoyed the sound begging and screaming, but this one was a tiny sound, pathetic. Where's the fun in that? He moved to the narrow alley and saw a large man kicking the shit out of a smaller person. Joker watched as the brute hurt whomever was on the ground. He finally found the screaming. It came from a small kid watching it all.

The kid kept screaming "Stop." The man stepped back and pulled a gun from behind him and shot the person he had been beating. The kid screamed, trying to run. The man shot the small body. It dropped. Joker felt odd about that, it was just a kid, why shoot them? Where was the message in _that_?

He was about to turn and walk away when he saw the man step towards the kid he had just shot. Joker watched in disgust as the large shadowy man reached for his pants, undoing the belt he wore and the button and zipper. Joker looked down. The small shape was moving, the kid was alive, the small body writhing in pain.

Joker saw red. He could handle all kinds of depravity, but not a kid rapist. He sighed, that was it, he stalked down the alleyway and pulled his knife. By the time the man knew he was there, it was too late, Joker had sliced open the man's jugular and watched the perverts blood spray across the bricks, in rhythm with his heartbeat.

He was going to leave, but the small kid whimpered. "Help me?"

Joker grunted. He wasn't a babysitter. He reached down and pulled the kid up, carrying the small body with him. He decided he would patch the kid up and drop them somewhere else, he wasn't a _monster._

He moved to the street and hurried to the damned safe house. The kid smelled bad, like filth, piss, and blood. It was _not_ a good combination. He pushed into the apartment and took the kid to the bathroom. He laid them down in the bathtub. He grabbed the first aid kit and then a knife of his from his room. What would Gotham say if they knew the Joker was helping instead of killing someone?

He hummed his amusement at the situation as he cut the shirt from the kid. He turned on the shower to clean the blood from their tiny body. It must have been someone else blood. No wounds there. He tugged the pants from the kid and knew he'd found the wound when the crying started. The man had shot them in the outer thigh. Painful but not life-threatening.

He frowned, as his eyes moved down the tiny body. It was a little girl, and she was _crying._ He had only realized it was a girl by the white and pink panties she wore. He felt his blood boil again thinking about that damned pervert. He wanted to kill the man again. He grabbed his supplies and started to fix up the wound.

"This is gonna hurt kiddo." He said as he started to stitch the small wound. Lucky for her, the gun had been a small caliber, maybe a .22, and it was through and through. Ignoring the whimpers and cries, he turned her to her side and stitched the back. He looked at the wounds, they had stopped bleeding and the stitches were nice and tight. Pleased at the job, he turned the water off and wrapped her leg with a dry bandage.

He lifted her small body and took her to his bed, setting her on the mattress and moved to his closet. He grabbed a t-shirt and pulled it over her head, it swallowed her small frame. He laid her back to relax and she started to cry again. He didn't have anything for pain or sleep. He would not be listening to _THAT_ all night. He had just spent time and supplies to fix her up, so he was not going to kill her. Then he had a brilliant idea. He moved to his table and grabbed the tin that had been sitting there since just before he had been locked up.

He quickly rolled a joint and lit it. He took a big hit and smiled, still good. "Hey kiddo, I, uh, got you something to help with the pain." She looked at him and said nothing. "You got to trust me, ok?" He said, refusing to look into her tear-filled eyes. .

She looked at the joint then back at him and nodded. "I'm going to breathe the medicine to you, into your mouth, you just have to breathe in, ok?" She looked confused but nodded.

He smiled and pulled a long draw from the joint, holding the smoke in his mouth, then leaned forward. She flinched but he continued. He sealed his mouth over hers, she opened her mouth and sucked in air as he pushed the smoke into her lungs.

She smiled, then coughed a lot. Joker laughed and waited for her to catch her breath. "One more okay?" he said.

She nodded, Joker repeated the process, proud that she hadn't coughed this time. He smiled as he saw her body relax.

Joker finished the joint and sat back on the other side of the bed. The girl had fallen asleep. Joker laid there and let the thoughts run through his head. What the hell would he do with a kid? Once she was feeling better, he'd drop her off somewhere.

Joker had fallen asleep at some point. He hadn't realized it had happened, until he woke up, feeling as if he was being watched. He opened his eyes and saw two large miss-matched eyes looking at him. One bright green and one deep brown. He didn't move, he just looked at them.

The girl just watched him. Long blinks the only breaking of the eye lock they had started. He hadn't had anyone hold eye contact with him in a long time. It made him feel slightly uncomfortable. Finally, the girl spoke. "Is my brother dead?"

Joker smacked his lips, "Was that who was getting hurt last night?" he asked. The girl's eyes started to water, she nodded. "Yeah kiddo, that, ah, _man _shot him in the neck."

The girl began to cry again, but thankfully, silently. Joker got up and moved to the kitchen, getting as much distance as he could between them. He grabbed a bottle of water from the fridge and drank it, trying to decide what he should do. First things first, he needed a shower. He grabbed a box of pop-tarts, and went back to the room the girl was in. "Here, eat something." He tossed them to her.

"Thanks." She said and opened the package.

Joker grunted and went into the bathroom and took a shower. The hot water felt good. Arkham showers were so cold, and kind of painful. He finished up and moved back into his room, towel around his waist. The girl was on the bed still, breakfast finished. She was picking at the bandage. Joker moved to the closet and grabbed clothes.

He moved to get dressed and said, "_Don't_ pick at that." The girl jumped. Joker laughed and continued to get dressed.

Next thing on his agenda for the day, he needed to go back to his warehouse to see who was left, but couldn't just _leave_ her here. He looked back at the girl, he couldn't take her in just a shirt. He frowned.

"Wait here. I'm going to go get you clothes." He said quickly and left to rummage through the other apartment in the building. When Joker had acquired this place, the four small apartments were still fully furnished. One had been burnt out and boarded off. He had emptied the one they were currently in of all unnecessary items. That left two other apartments semi full of all kinds of useless treasures.

When he returned about fifteen minutes later, the girl was still where he left her. "Here, let's, uh, get you ready." Joker said as he handed her clean clothes.


	2. Chapter 2

**A/N: Here's the next chapter feel free to let me know what you think.**

* * *

~_It's my party and I'll cry if I want to_

_(Cry if I want to Cry, cry, cry,)_

_Ill cry until the candles burn down this place_

_Ill cry until my pity party is in flames.~_

_~Melanie Martinez~_

* * *

The girl was dressed and limping as she walked into the living room. Joker looked over at her and smiled. She had the largest frown on her face.  
"These are boy's clothes." She said.

"Yep, you're gonna be one of the _guys_ today. Just, uh, don't try to pee standing up." Joker laughed at his own joke.

"Where are we going?" the girl asked, her large eyes looking panicked.

Joker huffed in annoyance. "Well, your uncle Joker has to go work. Would you rather be here all alone?" The girl's eyes widened, she shook her head no. "I didn't think so. You're gonna hang out with me today."

"Are you really my uncle?"

Joker burst into laughter, "Uh, no kiddo, I'm not your uncle. Now you need to wait here I need to find us a ride. So, be a peach and stay put." He patted her head, feeling the short curls. Her hair was soft.

Joker grabbed his jacket and went to the bathroom, putting on his war paint. When he looked at himself in the mirror, he felt better. The damned doctors at Arkham refused him any makeup at all, citing it's link to delusional behavior. Joker calls bullshit. The makeup was comforting, but he was not delusional. He moved out of the apartments and into the streets. It was light out, but still early enough to not be crowded. He breathed in the dirty air and looked around. He saw slim pickings around here. Not a lot of cars in the narrows. Now he wished he'd kept the damn security guard's car. Oh well, he'd find something.

After about 4 blocks and 15 minutes or so he found a clunker that wouldn't be missed too much. He hopped in and hotwired the car. Perfect, it just needed to get him to the warehouse and he could use his own car from there. He drove to the apartment building, he left the car running and went inside. The girl was still in the same spot he left her, fully dressed as a boy. She took orders well.

"Come on Peach, let's go." He handed her a baseball cap. The girl looked at him as if he'd grown a second head. "What?"

"Joker?" she said, squinting at him.

"Yea?" he said, then remembered he had his face painted up. He smiled. "Yea Peach, it's me, let's go."

She put the hat on to cover her hair and followed him, limping lightly, but not complaining. He opened the door for her and made sure she got in. He hurried around to his side and started to drive. They had made onto the freeway before she started with the questions.

"Why are you wearing makeup?" she asked.

"I like it."

"Why?"

"I just do." He smacked his lips, tongue darting to touch the scars.

"Does it taste bad?"

That question threw him for a loop. "What? _Why_?" he shot back at her.

"You were licking it. I was just wondering." She said. She was quiet for a minute. "Can I wear makeup?"

"No, _you_ are a boy at the moment." He said.

"You're a boy." She pointed out.

He looked over at her. "_Nooooo_, I am The Joker."

She looked confused now. She dropped the subject, asking instead, "That guy was gonna hurt me, wasn't he?"

Joker looked at her again. "He did hurt you. He shot you in your itty bitty leg." He reached over and poked the wound.  
"Ow!" she howled, causing Joker to laugh. She looked angry now. "No I meant like he hurt my brother."

Joker looked at her, "What do you mean? Like kill you?"

The girl looked at her hands, her face red. She shook her head no. "He came by a lot, and last time he hurt my brother. He pulled his pants down and laid on him. I was hiding but I could hear him cry. After the guy left my brother was bleeding." She paused, sniffled, then she continued, "Down there." She pointed to her bottom.

Joker could feel a wave of anger pulsing under his skin. He held onto the steering wheel to keep his temper under control.  
"Yea, Peach, I think he was." He paused, "That's why _I_ killed _him_." He bit out.

She was quiet for a while, Joker had calmed down, but was gnawing the inside of his mouth. She startled him when she spoke again.  
"Thank you."

"Don't, uh, mention it." he said tugging the bill of her hat down, covering her eyes.

She laughed and fixed the hat again. She was looking out of the window. Watching the industrial buildings replace houses and offices. "Are we close yet?"

"Yep, about five minutes why?" He said taking the next exit and making a left.

"I gotta pee." She said starting to bounce in her seat.

He groaned aloud, kids were worse than pets. He pulled into a gravel parking lot and parked the car. The girl was already unbuckling herself. He walked around and opened the door and helped her hop down so she wouldn't hurt her leg.

"Follow me, close." He instructed. They began the walk to the side door. He pulled his knife and opened the door slowly. There were no lights on, but it was still early. He stepped in and waited for her to follow. He reached over and flipped a switch. A buzzing started and then the fluorescent bulbs along the ceiling began to light up.  
He smiled, a few of the crew were here, asleep on different pieces of miss-matched furniture. He picked up a large piece of scrap metal from the ground and gestured for the girl to cover her ears. She did, keeping her eyes on him. Joker smiled then threw the hunk of metal at the nearest wall. The reverberating sound was deafening. The men were no longer asleep. They were standing, guns pulled, looking for the source of the sound.

"Rise and shine boys, miss me?" He said laughing at the looks on their faces.

They all lowered their weapons and chuckled along with him. The girl behind him giggled as well. That made him smile. He moved up the side stairs and the girl followed. They stopped in front of a door and he knelt down. "You stay in here for a minute, bathroom is through the door over there. I gotta talk business with the boys." He told her. She nodded and went into the room. Joker turned and headed back down to the small group of men. They were all up and alert now.

"Boss, good to see you out." One of the nameless men said.

"You boys all that's left?" He asked, impressed that these five were here. He figured they had all gotten pinched when the Prewitt fiasco happened.

"Yea, Batman took out the SWAT long enough for some of us to get out."

Joker turned and saw a familiar face. That was his main guy, Ace. That wasn't his real name of course. If you stayed alive long enough, Joker would give you a name he could remember you by. Ace had been with him the longest.

"Well, not that I didn't enjoy my, uh, little vacation, but I'm back and ready to wreak some havoc." He paused, "We need to recruit."  
The men enjoyed this part, it was a perk of the job. Whoever brought the best recruit always got a little bonus after the first few jobs. Joker may kill indiscriminately, but if you stayed on his good side, he paid well. Well enough that these goons stuck around to await his return.

Joker looked at his watch, then back at the guys. "Let's say, at least 2 apiece, you have three days." He looked at his watch again. "72 hours starting, uh, _NOW_!" The men scrambles and Joker cackled. This was so much fun.

Ace didn't move, he was exempt from the game. Joker smacked his lips together and looked around. The place was a mess. He looked at Ace. "Grab me some lunch will ya?" he asked the man.

"What about the kid? Is he hungry?"

Joker had forgotten in the excitement of the start of the game. "Yea, uh, _him_ too." Joker turned and walked back to his office and opened the door. The girl was sitting at his desk, spinning in his chair. He laughed. "Having fun?"

The girl jumped up from the chair and hissed in pain. Joker laughed again. "Careful, popped stitches hurt." He warned and sat in his chair. He had to figure out what his next move would be. He wasn't sure. The feeling was odd. He looked up and noticed the girl was staring at him.

"What?" he said, tilting his head to look at her. She was just standing there. "I'm not a mind reader kid, you need something, speak up."

"I'm bored." She said.

Joker laughed, for Pete's sake, this was definitely worse than a pet. "You, uh, like to draw?" he asked. She smiled and nodded. He dug through a few drawers in the desk he had and finally found a few pages of clean paper. "I don't have crayons, but I do have markers, that okay?" he eyed the kid.

"Yes, sir." She said. Joker smiled. He _liked_ that, the kid had a few manners. He tossed the markers to her and watched her find an area of the floor and start to color.  
He turned back to his desk. What could he do to draw the bat back out? Joker had nearly busted a gut when he saw how the city had turned on poor Batsy. He had tried to warn the Bat but no one listens until it's too late. Now he'd have to cause some real mayhem. Had to get his favorite toy back in the city's good graces.  
Ace knocked on the door with lunch.

"Come in." Joker said not looking up. Ace dropped the food off on the desk and stood there. "What?" Joker asked, getting tired of having to ask people what was bugging them enough to be annoyingly there.

"Is the kid a hostage?" the man asked. This caught Joker's attention. He raised his eyes up to the large man.

"Have I ever taken a _kid_ hostage?" he asked. Ace knew he'd messed up. The look on his face was priceless.

"No Boss, I was just curious." He backpedaled.

"Do I pay you to be curious?" He asked. He honestly wasn't mad, but he liked to keep the guys on their toes. Can't have anyone get too complacent.  
"No, Boss, sorry."

Joker relaxed and grabbed the bags with the food. "I'm just kidding Ace. No, it's not a hostage. I, uh, saved the kid and haven't decided what to do with it yet." He pulled a few greasy burgers from the bag.

The kid's head popped up, Joker laughed. "Lunchtime, kiddo." He tossed the burger to the girl. She caught it and smiled. "Eat up." Joker started to eat and realized Ace was still staring at them. Joker shooed him away. The man left the room and Joker returned to eating and plotting. He needed to start small, warm up the soon to be new recruits and the city as well. He figured a few robberies and maybe a couple of controlled explosions should get the blood pumping.

He reached into the desk again for a map this time, He spread it out across the desk and smoothed the edges. He looked at the city, so much potential for fun. He reached for a marker, remembering the kid had them. "Hey Peach, toss me a black marker, will ya?" He smacked his lips. The girl moved over to him and handed him a marker. "Thanks." She looked over the map but stayed silent. Joker tossed the wrapper from his burger and stood, pacing around the map. He wanted to do something spectacular enough to draw out the bat. An idea popped into his head and he smiled. He had a lot of planning to do.

He was pulled from his brainstorming session a few hours later by the girl. He had been so caught up in his own head, he had forgotten she was even there.

"My leg hurts, and I'm tired." The girl looked tired. Joker glanced at his watch, shocked by the time. He'd been here too long. He folded the map up and put it back into the drawer. Then turned back to the girl.

"Quitting time anyway, let's go." He stood and walked to the door. He turned and watched the girl limp pretty bad. Inwardly groaning, he moved and picked her up. He was shocked when she laid her head on his shoulder and wrapped her body around his.

He turned and left his office. When he finally reached the door to go out, he reached for his keys. The girl didn't budge. He pushed through the door and made his way to his real car. He opened the passenger door and set her inside. He buckled her in and shut the door. He moved to his side and got in, starting the drive back to his building.  
The girl didn't speak the entire way home, Joker had assumed she was asleep. He pulled up and parked behind the building, hiding his car from traffic. He walked around to get her out. When he leaned down she was looking right at him. His insides squirmed at the intense stare of the girl.

He grabbed her and walked around to the door. He took her to the bedroom and sat her on the bed. She watched as he rolled another joint. He turned to look at her.  
"Let's get you washed up and ready, then medicine and bed." He set the joint on the small table by the bed.

He helped her with her shoes and pants, then moved to toss another of his shirts at her to sleep in. She changed quickly. "Done." She said.  
He moved over and checked her leg. The stitches looked irritated but were holding strong and clean. He rebandaged the leg and then grabbed the 'medicine'. The girl was much better at not coughing. She took four entire hits. Joker was impressed.

She soon dozed off and left Joker to his own thoughts. He had to figure out what to do with her. She couldn't be around him and his crew. It was dangerous for everyone. He didn't associate with the best people. He didn't stick his neck out to save her, just to have some creep hurt her. He turned the light out and crawled into bed.

* * *

...

* * *

He woke up with the sun. He stood and stretched, looking over at the girl still asleep. Her small body dwarfed by his shirt. He went into the bathroom to relieve his bladder. He was washing his hands when he saw smudges in his paint. Now sleeping usually smeared most of I around, but these were small lines. About the size of tiny fingers, he'd guess. She had touched him while he slept. He felt _violated_. That was a strange new feeling. He wasn't one for personal boundaries for the most part. He was usually the one crossing them. People became unnerved when you got too close. But he was asleep. No one had ever _dared_ to get near him when he slept. _Not_ that he'd ever given anyone the chance.

He frowned and turned to look back at the girl. She was still asleep. He moved quickly and stood next to her. He reached for her small hands. Sure enough, both pointer fingers had smudges of his grease paint on them. He dropped her hands and left the room. The anger had rushed through him. He had to leave before he acted on the impulse to choke the life out of her.

He decided to go for an early morning walk. He walked around the small mostly abandoned neighborhood. After he'd walked off the urges that were moving through him. He felt ready to go back. He walked into the door and heard crying. Wailing actually, he hurried to find the kid. She was in the bathroom, on the floor crying hysterically.

"Enough." He roared. Her eyes opened and she jumped up hugging him. He pulled her deceptively strong arms from around him. "What," He paused, licking his scar, "was _that_ about?"

She was calming down, but still breathing irregularly. "You…Y-You" She hiccoughed. "You left me." The tears returned.

"I said enough. Dry it up." He barked at her. "I didn't leave you. I was just outside." She wiped her face on the shirt she wore.

"You weren't leaving me?" she asked, looking up with her big shining miss-matched eyes. He looked at her and sighed.  
"No, I wouldn't just up and go." He said.

"Promise?" she asked. He laughed. She was smart getting a promise from him. He put out his pinky, hooking hers with it.

"Pinky promise." He said. When she smiled up at him, he smiled back. This girl would be the death of him He was sure of it.


	3. Chapter 3

**A/N: if you are reading this, I hope you are liking this story. carry on...**

* * *

_~So what's to fear when everything is crystal clear_

_ You realize that you should do the things you wanna do_

_ Don't give in to what people say, don't be ashamed_

_ To separate the feelings on your mind you can't sedate~_

_~Adema~_

* * *

_Present_

* * *

Joker stood in front of this woman. The memories flashing back into his brain. The fogginess that surrounded his mind had cleared a bit more. He looked at her crying.

"Enough!" He bellowed. Her head shot up and looked at him, eyes sharp as daggers. He'd be lying if he said the look didn't excite him. It almost promised pain. He pushed that thought away.

"I didn't leave you." The sensation of Déjà vu washed over him. "I was locked up, and _heavily_ sedated." He said. The excuse felt weak to him but it was 100% the truth.

She flashed the angry eyes at him again, he felt his body stir, he looked away. It all felt wrong. He got his libido under control and looked back at her. She stared at him with a confused look now.

"Who landed you there, hmm?" she said, voice full of malice. "You were the one not listening to me. I told you."

It was his turn to look confused. "What the hell are you talking about?"

She looked at him again. The anger was gone, now those eyes held pity. He hated that look. He looked away. Then turned his body and stormed away. He was tired of this. His brain hurt. More than likely a side effect of coming off the drugs so abruptly. He stormed back to his room and shut and locked the door.

This girl was constantly getting in the way of his life. She did it as a child and picked right back up as a woman. He made his way to the bathroom and shut that door as well. He paced the small room, sometimes it helped to get his thoughts back on track.

He had no idea how long he paced, but he'd definitely calmed himself a bit. He could think of the girl, his Peach, without getting angry. That was a start. He left the bathroom. The small boarded window showed it was getting dark outside. His sense of time was still skewed. It felt like maybe an hour he'd been in there but was most of the day.

He walked over to the door and unlocked it. He stepped out into the hallway and listened. He didn't hear anything. He moved and decided he was going out, he needed to get back into the swing of things. The air outside was typical Narrows. Dirty and brisk. It was refreshing. He turned and started walking.

He found a small hole in the wall pub. Perfect. He walked in and no one paid him any attention. He walked up to the bar and ordered several shots of tequila. The burn of the liquor was comforting. He finished the 6th shot when he started to feel the head change.

He finished the 7th shot and paid. He walked out and the city felt alive like it was crawling along his skin. He decided he wanted to just go back to his place and relax. He would deal with everything else in the morning. He made it all the way back to his room and laid back on his bed. He fell asleep, the tequila started to shoot his memories back at full speed.

* * *

_Before_

* * *

Joker was in his office, working on the next part of his attempt to bring out the bat. He'd recruited several new guys, all with very promising futures. Some would be lucky to make it through the week.

"Joker?" her voice pulled him from his reveries.

"Yea, Peach?" he said, the name had stuck sometime in the first few weeks. She was sitting on the small loveseat he had brought in for her to relax on when he was working. She had been sketching in a notebook he'd gotten for her.

"Do you like my picture?" she asked.

He sighed, "Yes." He said.

"You didn't look." She pouted.

"I'm sure it's beautiful." He said still not looking. He wasn't expecting her to throw a marker at him. He definitely didn't expect it to hit him in the temple. "Damn it girl, good throw." He mumbled.

She giggled and went back to drawing. Joker sat at his desk and started to work again. They were hitting a few places in the next couple of weeks. He wanted everyone to join in the fun, even if they didn't want to. The first two places would be a breeze. A few low-level labs, one at the college. The security there was a joke. He'd cased the place already. One night security guard, one camera and no audible alarms. Too easy.

The second place was a lab at a small pharmaceutical company. The security was a bit more complex, but he had a guy working on it. There was one guy in the lobby, one guy in the camera room and a very loud alarm. Joker figured with the right tech guy on it, he really only had to worry about the guy in the lobby.

The last place has proven to be the most impenetrable. The basement level at Wayne Tower had the equipment he needed to turn his project into the proper aerosol form, keeping it fairly compact. The rich boy's company was well guarded. He'd have to keep working on that one.

"It's dark, can we go home now?" The girl whined.

"If we go will you shut up?" he asked. Looking at the girl.

"Yep." She stood there, all attempts to keep her looking like a boy had failed. She refused to wear anything but dresses. Joker had sent Ace to buy girl clothes. She wore the overly pretty clothes. And even wore her hair in two pigtails. The curls sticking out in all directions.

Joker sighed and stood up to leave. He _should_ have gotten rid of her. She was beginning to be a pain in the ass. "Let's go, Peach." He said heading to the door.

They made their way through the warehouse, the girl waving and saying goodbye to a few of the guys. Joker kept his eyes straight forward, he was frustrated with Wayne Tower and was not in the best of moods.

He got to the door and opened it, waiting as his girl caught up. "Thank you." She said as she passed. She may be an utter brat, but she had manners.

Joker drove home and parked in his usual spot. They made their way up to the door and paused. It was _not_ closed all the way. Someone had busted in the lock. Best case scenario was a homeless person had kicked in the door, looking for a place to stay. Worst case, someone was looking for Joker.

"Wait here," He told the girl and stepped up to the door. He moved into the small hallway and looked around. No one he could see down here. He checked his room, empty. He pulled the girl in. "Go into my room, lock the door, don't come out." He turned and then stopped. "There is a gun in the box under the sink, get it and stay hidden." The girl nodded and ran into the room. Once he heard the lock click, he continued his search.

The first floor was clear. He moved up to the second floor, He heard a noise, he pulled out his knife and followed the sound. The last apartment's door was open and a light on. BINGO. He walked up to the door and moved it open, a man stood there digging through the dresser that had been left there by the previous tenants.

Joker stood straight and watched. He was unsure if this guy was a real threat or not. Before he could make a move, he felt a gun pressed to the back of his head.

"Joker, right?" A woman's voice asked.

"_Yea_? " He said watching the guy in the room jump.

"Boy, the ladies won't believe me when I tell them-" Joker flinched when he heard a gun fire. He turned when her gun hit the floor. There was blood and gore splattered on the wall behind him. The woman's body hit the ground and he locked eyes with his Peach. She was gripping the gun he owned with both hands, braced against the kickback.

He was in shock at first, then very angry, she could have _shot_ him. He turned to the screaming man running at him. Joker plunged his knife into the man's gut. He pulled the knife away and the man fell to the floor crying.

"Why are you in my home?" He asked the man calmly.

The crying man looked up at him. "We didn't know." Joker kicked the man. Aiming for the wound he had caused. The man groaned and cried a bit more. He continued to repeat "We didn't know." Joker turned and saw the girl standing behind him. She didn't look scared. Her face looked blank as she watched him hurt the man crying on the floor. No emotion either way.

He turned back to the man. "I believe you." He said then plunged the knife into the man's neck. The gurgles were calming to him. He watched the man bleed out on the floor. The man deserved that much, he supposed. Joker stood and snatched the gun from the girl.

"You were supposed to _stay_ hidden." He flicked her on the nose. "_Bad_ Peach." When the girl giggled, his anger fell away. "Where did you learn to shoot like that?" he asked her.

She shrugged. Joker felt his stomach hit his feet. She just took a lucky shot near his head. He decided that in the morning he was going to teach her how to shoot a gun, properly.

"Go back and get ready for bed, I gotta take out the trash." He told her pushing her towards the stairs.

"I can help." She said. Arms crossed and feet planted, she looked like a boss in training. Joker looked at her for a second then nodded.

"Fine, go get a bucket of water, a jug of bleach, and something to scrub with." He said starting to move the bodies. The girl smiled and took off downstairs. Joker figured it was only fair, she killed one, she could help clean up. He grabbed his burner phone and called Ace.

"Boss?" the man answered on the second ring.

"Need you to bring a van and come to the address I'm going to text you." Joker hung up the phone. He sent the apartment address and then went to grab some old sheets. By the time Ace got there, Joker had both bodies wrapped and moved to the front of the building. The girl was back scrubbing the gore off the wall. Brain matter _would_ start to stink after a few days.

Ace pulled up and moved to the back of the van, opening the door automatically. He moved up to where Joker stood. Now, _normally_ Joker didn't smoke cigarettes, it was just poison to the body. But he snatched Ace's cigarette from his mouth and took a long drag. The burn felt good.

"Busy night?" Ace said as he lit another cigarette.

Joker laughed. "Came home to these two rummaging." He explained as he finished the cancer stick.

"They got off easy then." It wasn't a question. Ace took another long drag from his own cigarette.

"The kid shot _that_ one." He pointed to the smaller of the wrapped bodies.

Ace coughed, choking on the inhale he'd just taken. "You had her kill someone?" Ace looked shaken.

Joker cut his eyes over to Ace. "And if I did?" he challenged. Ace didn't reply. Smart. "No, I _had_ her hiding while I searched the place. She shot the bitch after she had pulled a gun on me."

Ace looked surprised. "The girl was protecting you?"

"Don't sound so surprised, I'm a likable kinda guy." He flashed a red scarred smile at him.

Ace laughed and put out the cigarette. "You ready?" He asked.

Joker stretched. He cracked his neck and shuddered. "Let's get this done."

They moved the two bundles to the back of the van. Shutting the door, Joker turned to Ace. "You know what to do."

"See you later." He said as he climbed back into the van. Joker watched him drive away. Once he could no longer see tail lights, he moved back inside. He went to the kitchen and made a sandwich for him and the girl. He took them into his room and set them on the bed. He hurried upstairs to let her know she had done enough.

The girl almost ran into him. She was bringing her stuff back down. "You're finished?" He asked.

"Yep." She walked past with the big bucket. Joker walked down the hallway. He looked along the wall. Looked pretty good. And the hall smelled like bleach. Not bad. He turned and walked back down the stairs.

"Peach, I made us a sandwich. It's in the room." He said. He walked to the room and sat down. He started to eat his food. He watched her walk in and move straight to the bathroom. He could hear the water turn on. After a few minutes, she came out and crawled up on the bed, grabbing her sandwich and starting to eat.

Joker watched her. She seemed to be…fine. Kids must be pretty resilient. She'd recovered from a gunshot with a scar and no limp. She'd heard her older brother being raped and watched him murdered, she seemed okay. She just killed a woman and then cleaned up the mess.

"I'm gonna teach you how to shoot tomorrow." He said out of nowhere. He watched her face light up. "You did _good_ kid. Next time, do as you are told." He said

"I saw her walk up the stairs, She came from outside, I didn't want her to sneak up on you." She said.

"Like I said you did good, but I can take care of myself kiddo. And I'm gonna teach you to do the same." He said pushing her hard enough she slid off the bed. When he heard her hit the floor, he laughed.

She jumped up, "That wasn't funny." She was pouting.

"Oh, big bad assassin can't fall without getting her feelings hurt?" He said pouting at her. He was curious as she disappeared below the line of the bed. Then she popped back up and threw her shoe at him. He barely ducked in time. "Hey, you brat. That could have hurt me."

She laughed and then stuck her tongue out at him. He got up and took their plate to the kitchen and locked everything up, He was feeling a bit paranoid. He had to wedge a piece of wood against the door the thieves had kicked in, something to fix later.

He went back into his bedroom and saw her dressed for bed. She had taken out her small pigtails and the curls had made a halo around her head. She still slept in his shirt. Refusing to wear the nightgown that Ace bought for her, saying it was too itchy.

She'd been with him for the last 6 months. He had decided to keep her. She was fun. The weather was starting to get cold and this next week was going to be hectic. He needed to get this place fortified. He laid down and stared at the ceiling. He had to figure out how to get into Wayne Tower. It was the last, but very important, step for this new plan.

He felt himself start to doze off, after laying there for hours. Too soon, the girl woke him up, bringing in breakfast.

"I made food." She said carrying in a bowl of cereal very slowly.

Joker sat up, stretching the stiff muscles in his back. After a gratifying few pops along his spine, he moved to take the bowl from her.

"Thanks, kid." He watched her leave to get her own food. He chuckled as she walked in just as slowly as before.

They ate in silence. Once the sugary sweet cereal was gone, she looked up eagerly at him.

"_What_?" he asked.

"When are we going to shoot?" She asked grinning big.

He smiled, "When we get to the warehouse. Better selection of guns there." He said getting up to go relieve his bladder.

He stood over the stained toilet, enjoying the early morning piss when she girl barged in. He turned to look at her.

"Do you mind?" he said.

She looked at him in the eyes. "No, go ahead." Then she turned to the sink to brush her teeth.

He grumbled as he finished and pushed her out of the way to wash his hands and touch up his face.

"Hey, I was here first." She complained. He turned to look at her. She was pouting, like that would work. He narrowed his eyes at her, maybe he _should_ get rid of her? She keeps this up, he may end up killing her.

He turned back and finished his face then walked out of the bathroom, "All yours, Peach."

The brat refused to talk to him the entire way to the warehouse. At first, the silence was good. He hummed a long forgotten tune as he drove. Halfway there, he was feeling antsy, He tried to speak to her.

"Before last night, you ever shot a gun?" he was answered by silence.

He felt himself growl in his chest. Two could play at this game. He faced the road and kept his mouth shut. When they pulled up to the warehouse, she got out of the car and stomped off to his office and slammed the door. When he came in all the guys were looking at him. Silently seething, he moved to look for Ace.


	4. Chapter 4

**A/N: People are still reading this, so I guess it's not too far gone...yet. don't be a stranger, drop a review even if it's bad. I won't cry... too much.**

* * *

_~Ever seen a devil with a halo?_

_Ever seen an angel with some horns?_

_Everybody's got their own demons,_

_Everybody's fighting their own war.~_

_~G-Easy~_

* * *

Joker would never consider himself a patient man, nor would he call himself impatient. He took things as they came, nudging things in his favor when he could. That being said, Joker expected things that _were_ planned out to happen on his time. To be totally honest, he hadn't _planned_ to keep the kid.

Sure, she was fun to pick on, but she was also needy, and whiney, and a bit bossy. She was like a tiny version of himself. He hated her some days. He adored her other days. He had spent a week teaching her how to shoot a few different guns. She liked the revolvers best. No hot cartridges flying out to burn you.

She had impressed him with how quickly she had picked up her new hobby. She did so well, he even gotten her a small .22 to keep with her. She kept it in a small purse she had at all times. He had an epiphany while teaching her to shoot, _she_ was his way into Wayne Tower. No one would suspect a cute little girl of working for The Joker. He just needed her to get a small camera into the building so he could case it, up close.

This train of thought, was how they found themselves parked in front of Wayne Tower, the girl dolled up in her Sunday finest.

"You know what to do?" He asked her.

She rolled her eyes, a new and _extremely_ annoying habit she had picked up. "Yea, I'm not a baby." She said.

He looked at her, "That's _exactly_ what a baby _would_ say." He grinned at her.

She gave him the most evil look her small face could muster up. It was hilarious. "Okay, call this number and I'll send in-" She cut him off

"I know." She blurted.

He grabbed her face, squeezing her cheeks between his thumb and fingers. "It's rude to, uh, _interrupt_, Peach."

He let go and moved to the side of the van.

"Sorry, I'm just excited." She said, eyes watering.

"I Know. Just make me proud." He said. He slid the side door open and the tiny girl stepped out.

He watched as she made her way up to the glass doors. He felt a strange pang of apprehension when she left his sight.

The small child walked into the lobby of Wayne Tower unnoticed, sliding through the crowd unnoticed. She moved to the far wall and put the small camera in the potted plant. She frowned when she noticed the plant was fake. She shrugged and moved to the security desk, pinching her arm to bring on tears.

"'Scuse me, can you help me?" she said.

The large bald man behind the desk turned and his face softened when he looked at her. "Are you lost?" He said, his voice soft and comforting. She let the tears flow and nodded.

The man turned and said something to the other guy and stood up. "Come here, let's go back here and see if we can find your parents." He said taking her small hand.

She let the man grab her, fighting the urge to pull away. She didn't like his soft pudgy hands. She let her anxiety show, her body trembling.

"It's ok, we are going to get back here and call it to the security, then we can look at the monitors to see if we can see your parents. It's okay." He reassured her.

They moved to a big door. She watched as he put in a code on the panel next to the door. 8351. They might need that. She repeated the numbers in her head until she could remember them easily.

The room they moved into was brightly lit, she squinted her eyes and looked at all the monitors, there had to be fifty. The man moved over to the small phone to the left of the lady who watched the screens.

He was talking into the phone so, she turned and put the small camera inside this weird rubber thing on the wall. She found out later it was a door stop. It didn't look like it would stop anything, but the small camera fit inside easily.

The man turned to the lady and said something to her, she turned and looked at me. "Come here sweetie, we need to ask you a few questions." She said, her voice soft.

The girl walked over and stood in front of the lady. "What's your name?" She asked.

"Vivian" She said. She had thought about the name she would use if anyone ever asked. Vivian was a nice lady that had fed her and her brother a few times. She liked her.

"That's a pretty name, do you know your dad or mom's name?" she asked.

She nodded, "Joseph." She said. The lady smiled at her.

"Do you know your daddy's phone number?" She asked. The girl nodded again.

"Good, let's call and see if we can have him come get you." She said.

She pulled the phone closer and lifted the receiver and let the girl dial. Joker had made sure she memorized the burner cell number.

She dialed, and waited for him to pick up.

"Hello?"

"I'm lost, can you come get me?" She asked trying to sound scared. She heard Joker chuckle, "Good girl, I'll send your "daddy" in."

"Okay." She hung up. "He said he's coming to the desk." She said sniffling.

The lady cop smiled. "Good that was easy, now Officer Ness will walk you back out." She smiled.

The girl smiled and followed the first officer back to the desk. There was Joker's guy looking nervous. She smiled and played it up. She ran and hugged the guy. He patted her head and smiled. She giggled.

He thanked the officer and they left. She skipped ahead and into the van.

Joker was smiling, he knew she could do it. They would come back later and tap into the cameras she planted.

"Can we get a kids meal?" She asked as she bounced in her seat.

"I don't know kiddo, we are on a tight schedule." he said.

"What if I tell you a secret?" she said.

Joker looked at her, the excitement on her face clear. "Tell me the secret and I'll decide if its worth it." he bargained.

She stood in the back of the van and stepped over to whisper in his ear. "The numbers for the security door are 8351." she giggled lightly.

Joker looked at her and then smiled, he was impressed.

"Yea, kid, we'll stop on the way to the warehouse." He said to her. He leaned forward and told the driver to stop at the first burger place and get them some food.

The girl ate her food on the way back. Joker was almost giddy with anticipation. They made it back to the hide out and Joker made his way back up to the office. They would have to go back and park near the building. The new tech guy was GOOD! He would turn on the tiny cameras and they'd watch. Figure out what was the best way to get in and out. Sure Joker didn't mind a bit of murder and mayhem, but he wanted to have his secret weapon first.

He sat at the desk and pulled the blueprints for the damned building, He'd need these to mark down what he found. He grabbed all the things he would need.

What would he do with the girl? The thought pulled him from his good mood. He turned and looked at the small girl. "Peach?" he said. She looked up from her notebook and smiled at him. "I need to ask you a question. While I'm out working, where would you rather be? Here or at home?"

The think lines showed between her brows. She thought for what seemed like forever. "I can stay here, when you get back we can drive home together." She smiled at her own answer.

"You'll have to stay in the room, the guys downstairs aren't, uh, exactly _trustworthy_." He said eyes narrowing.

"It's okay, I have my gun." She said, not looking up from her book.

"Ok, doll, you'll have to stay in here though. Don't trust anyone. The only person allowed in here is me and I have a key." He said.

"Okay." She said, not one ounce of fear. He didn't like that she was so fearless about the guys downstairs. Sure, he didn't knowingly hire perverts but hey, not all of them would advertise it either.

He went back to work gathering the things he would need. "I need to go talk to the techie, be good."

She didn't even reply. He left the room and moved down to the tech room, and entered. His new Techie was named Curtis, or Craig, hell he couldn't remember. The kid was good though, he had some of the best, non-lethal, toys around.

They had the nights plan all laid out. Once the sun set, Joker and few guys headed for the quick stake out. They had a small area for the blueprints and the Tech guy in the back with the equipment he needed. They parked in the closest area they could. The van had no markings and a commercial tag. It shouldn't be bothered. Joker sat, watching the small monitors flashing as they turned on and linked up to the planted cameras.

"Got the feed live." The man said.

Joker turned and watched. The first camera was in the lobby area it showed the security desk and the entire walkway. He looked at the other. It was inside the security office. He could see where every camera in Wayne tower was looking. He'd have to reward his peach. She did real good.

Joker watched the cameras and started marking their locations on the blueprints. They headed back to the hideout with a good idea of the patrol schedule and the camera locations. This was going to be so much fun. It took a grand total of two and a half hours, counting drive time. He was sure the girl would be tired.

They pulled back up to the warehouse and Joker hurried in. He was met with pure chaos. He felt panic when he heard the men shouting. He hurried to his office and noticed three bullet holes in the wood. He walked up to the side of the door and saw quite a bit of blood.

"Peach?" he said through the door.

"You're back?" he relaxed at the sound of her voice.

"Yeah, I'm gonna unlock the door. Then you're gonna tell me all about your night." He said unlocking the door.

He stepped inside and she launched herself at him. He tensed for a second and then relaxed into the hug. He shut the door behind him and looked around. The room looked fine. He detached her from him and put away his papers.

He sat at his desk and motioned for her to come over. The girl walked up to him and smiled. "What happened?" he said pointing at the door.

Her face instantly scowled. "He was knocking and telling me I had to come out, that you'd been hurt and needed me. But I'm not stupid, you'd never get hurt." She said. Joker grinned at that. She continued. "Then he started banging on the door. I was trying to draw and he wouldn't stop. I told him to go away. I promise." She said, eyes glassy with unshed tears.

"Then what happened?" he asked.

"I shot him." She said looking down at her feet.

He reached up and took her small chin in his hand. He tilted her face up. "That's good. That's why we practice. You did what I would have done." He said.

She smiled. "You're not mad?"

"Not at you."

"The others came up and started yelling at him and they left." She said.

"Let's go home." He said.

She grabbed her things and met him at the door. Joker closed it and locked the office up. They headed down the stairs. He turned to her. "Go use the restroom before we leave." He told her. Once she left the room he turned to the men.

"Who did she shoot?" he asked.

"Scotty" one of the men said.

Joker had no idea who that was. "New guy?" he asked. The men nodded. "Where is he?" he asked.

The men pointed to one of the large rooms with bunks for the guys to crash in. Joker smiled. The girl came back and looked at him. "Are we leaving?" she asked.

"Not yet, you want to have some fun?"

She smiled. "Yeah." Her eyes lit up.

Joker turned looking for Ace. "Ace? Get the_ play room_ ready." He said. He turned to the girl, "Go with Ace." He turned and moved into the bunk room. The man was snoring loudly. He was the only one in there. Joker walked up and leaned over his face.

"Scotty?!" he said loud enough to wake him.

"Shit, Joker, sir." He said scared.

"You good?" he asked the shaking man.

"Yea, flesh wound." He said. Joker nodded his understanding.

"Come on, you're going to help me punish the brat. She's got to learn not to shoot my men." He said. Watching the man. He seemed confused, then pleased.

"Yes sir." He said getting up and following Joker out of the room. The man didn't even realized the scared looks on the other men's faces.

They made their way to the play room. This was Joker's favorite room. He could really let his anger and self-control go when he was here. There was no judgment in this room. He would let his Peach indulge in her darker side. It would be beautiful.

He stepped into the room and let the man follow. Ace looked at the man, Joker, then Peach. "Anything else boss?"

Joker shook his head no and the man left closing the door behind him. Joker walked over to the left wall. There was different sharp objects. A machete, a hack saw, three or four different size icepicks, just to name a few. The opposite was had blunt objects, bats, crowbars, a length of pipe. Joker could feel his cock hardening at the thought of the potential violence. The back wall had restraints built into it. Different types lined the entire thing. People could be hung by the wrists, or shackled at the neck or wrists. Or just the ankles. This was by far his _favorite_ room.

"Peach, this is Scotty. He's going to _punish_ you for shooting him." He said, eyes locked on the tiny girl. Her eyes moved from Joker's to the man, Scotty. She narrowed her gaze.

Her voice came out clear and beautiful. "He could try." She said.

Damn it! Joker shifted his erection and looked over to Scotty. The man looked confused. He turned and looked at Joker, the question on his face. Joker shrugged, he would of course step in if the brute started to hurt her, but he wanted to see this.

The man reached for the girl. His hand barely touched the fabric of her dress sleeve and she jerked back. Scotty was off balance and stumbled into the back wall. He must have hit where she had shot him, causing him to let out a pained groan.

Joker watched as the girl kicked him in the stomach. The man grunted, the air knocked out of him by her tiny foot. He tumbled to his side and grunted again. Joker laughed. The girl moved and shackled the man's ankle to the wall. When the small lock clicked in place, Scotty went into panic mode. He tugged and pulled, causing himself quite a bit of pain.

"Boss, you can't let her do this, I thought we were going to punish her?" Scotty pleaded.

"Dear boy, why would I punish _her_ for doing what I _told_ her to do? The real issue is, why you would try to lure her out of my office." Joker walked over to him.

Scotty backed himself to the wall. "I didn't, she's lying." He pointed at the girl.

Joker laughed. The girl would never lie to him. He turned to Peach. "You going to let him call you a lair?" he asked.

Peach shook her head, eyes narrowed at the man. "I'm _not_ a liar." She said.

"Of course you aren't." he said looking her in the eyes. "He wanted to hurt you. He tried to lure you out of my office to hurt you. He would hurt you like that _mean_ man _hurt_ your brother." Joker explained. Her eyes went wild. She looked over at Scotty. She looked back to Joker. He motioned to the walls. "Take your pick, I'll show you how to make _him_ hurt." He said to her.

She walked to the walls and looked, she first picked up the bat. Joker chuckled, she was barely able to reach it. She swung the bat at the air, smiling at the whoosh of air.

"I like this one." She said.

"Classic." he said. Scotty was silent, watching the pair. He watched as Joker showed her how to grip the bad so she wouldn't lose her grip when she swung. The real panic hit when the pair looked over at him. Their eyes were the same, like soulless orbs.

Joker stood and nodded towards the man, "With blunt weapons, its best to start at the bottom and, _uh_, work your way up." He told her. The girl nodded and started to walk towards Scotty, bat in her hand.


	5. Chapter 5

**A/N: Here we go...**

* * *

_~I kind of like the misery you put me through,_

_ Darling you can trust me completely,_

_ If you even try to look the other way,_

_ I think that I could kill this time.~_

_~Disturbed~_

* * *

Joker was feeling giddy. Plans were coming together nicely. his guys had, of course, pulled off the first two heists with no real problems. Having the chemicals he needed, he'd been spending the last few weeks mixing them together to get the effect he wanted. He had samples of a few different batches he was waiting to try out. He had first thought to use a few of the men he had as lab rats, but decided to use the citizens of Gotham, and _maybe_ get Batman to come out and play.

His mind wandered back to the girl. When he had first saved her, Joker had thought her 7 or 8, but after several months of proper nutrition, she seems to be at least 10 maybe 11. He watched her, a lot. Her eyes were sharp and she was meticulous in her actions. She didn't waste smiles or frowns. Her face a mask of non-emotion. Except when they were alone.

At home or in the office with him, she was a smiling ray of sunshine. Her face framed by the damned curls. The mismatched eyes haunted him. He hated her more every day. She loved him. She never questioned anything he asked her to do. She had no qualms about drawing blood either. She proved her usefulness, helping on several smaller jobs he had set up to keep the city on their toes.

The deceptive angelic face that hid a monster that rivaled his own. She would grow to be a beautiful creature, if he didn't kill her first. They had been together working as a team for almost a full year. She was his most loyal little soldier. He had noticed her changing she had grown a few inches, though she was still _very_ short. The changes were slight. Her face wasn't as chubby, her lips were fuller. Her lost teeth were coming in and subtly changing the shape of her face.

Ace had to buy her bigger clothes. She was climbing onto the bed when he noticed the biggest change. She was starting to grow breasts. She crawled into the bed next to him. They sat back against the wall. He was unsure how to handle the entire situation.

The day after _that_ realization, Joker fixed up one of the upstairs apartments for her. She would need her privacy. He knew he should have gotten rid of her before he'd grown attached. He liked having his little shadow. She had started picking up his mannerisms. He watched her talk to Ace, tilting her head the way Joker did, and the man shuddered at the gesture. Joker laughed.

He left the girl in his office while he tested his first batch of his Joker Toxin on the bullet train crowd. He'd set up the canister on the middle car of the train, set to go off during the end of day rush. He sat at the warehouse and watched the news waiting for the panic. Boy, the city did not disappoint. The chaos was beautiful, the gas wasn't as great. The end effects were not _quite_ what he wanted.

He decided to wait a few days to test the second batch. He figured this time somewhere new. He wanted to get the mass hysteria going. Shopping mall, here they come. He showed up fresh faced and with his Peach in tow. He let the girl shop and had her meet him back at the east entrance.

She agreed, "Can I have some money?" she asked.

He looked at her, she stood there, hand out, waiting. Joker reached into his pocket and gave her what he had. As she walked into the crowd of people, he wondered where he'd gone wrong. He headed to the center of the large mall. There was a fountain, full of pennies. He sat on the edge of the fountain, looking around for the best place. Finally he decided near the escalator, that's where majority of the foot traffic was moving.

He found a large potted plant and tucked the small container into the dirt of it. He set the timer for noon the next day. He smiled, his job done. He moved back towards the exit, waiting patiently for his girl to show. Finally, she walked up to him holding several large bags. Joker raised his eyebrows. He did not give her enough for all of that. Maybe he'd taught her right after all.

They walked out to the car silently. She pushed the bags in the back and climbed in. She buckled her seatbelt, waiting for him to drive.

"What's in the bags?" he asked.

"Stuff." She said.

He didn't say anything else as they drove back to the narrows. They walked into the building and Joker went to his room and closed the door. He heard the girl stop up to her her room. The sounds of things crashing made him smile. Something had pissed her off. Good, she was getting too _soft_.

* * *

The next day, she rode with him to the warehouse and stayed in the office. This was perfect, he wanted no distractions as the gift to Gotham went off at the Mall. He was down watching the midday news, waiting. When the news broke, he was beside himself with laughter. They had _live_ coverage. He watched the screaming throngs running from the mall. Traffic leaving the area at a standstill. It was _beautiful_.

By the evening news, they had begun to talk about the dead. They had grotesque grins practically ripped into their faces. While the sight was inspirational, it was a bit _much_. Still not _quite_ what he was looking for, but he was close. The last batch might be it. Once he had it down, they would have to break into Wayne Tower. The tech they needed was there. They owned the patent on it. He wanted it, he was positive they had at least one unit built already.

Joker was in a great mood. He moved back up to his office and unlocked the door stepping inside. There his peach was, listening to music on an IPod. She had earbuds in and sang along with the music, unaware of him standing there. He watched her and listened. Her singing was _horrible_.

He walked over to his desk and grabbed his things. He moved to her and poked her in the shoulder. She jumped letting out a loud squeak.

"Time to go princess." He said walking to the door.

She got up and walked to the door, not speaking. He was tired of this, they needed to have fun. They got to the car and he drove off quickly turning towards the nicer parts of Gotham.

"Where are we going?" she asked.

"To have fun." He said. He watched her face light up. It made him sick that the smile made him feel better. "You got your gun?" he asked.

"Yea, in my bag, always." She said.

"Good, get it ready. I want you to shoot someone, _anyone_, lady's choice." He said.

"Why?" she asked confusion on her face as she pulled her gun out of her bag and checked the clip then turned off the safety.

He loved that she was complying even though she was curious. "Why _not_?" he asked.

He watched the lines between her brows wrinkle in thought. "Anyone?" she asked.

"Mhm." He said pulling into the downtown area. People were walking along the streets. He watched her, she did not disappoint. She lifted the gun and pointed it at him. He didn't even take his eyes off the road. He knew she wouldn't _shoot_ him. She pointed the gun away and frowned.

"_What_?" he asked.

"I don't want to shoot anyone, at least no one here, it's too easy." She said pouting.

Okay, she wanted even better fun? He could do that. "Hold on." He said. She turned the safety back on and waited as he drove too fast through the streets.

The stopped at a small corner shop. The girl was confused. She looked up and saw it was a pawn shop. Why would Joker bring her here? She watched him get out of the car and motion for her to follow. She got out, sliding the gun into her pocket on her jacket.

"Since you don't wanna just shoot anyone, let's do something a bit more fun." He pulled out a gun from his own pockets. "Follow my lead." He said.

She smiled. "Let's do it."

They barged into the small pawn shop and locked the door behind them. There was a middle aged man behind the counter. Joker walked up and pointed the gun. The man put his hands up.

"Take whatever you want, no problems here."

Joker smiled, looking back at his Peach. She was looking in the jewelry cases, not even paying attention. Joker was going to kill her. "Peach?" he said, his voice soft.

She turned and walked over to him. "Yea?" she said. Joker looked around. The man at the corner was the only one there.

"Well? Have _fun_." He said. Waving around his hands.

She rolled her eyes at him. He pushed back the urge to shoot her and watch those damned eyes roll back in her head for the last time. Instead he walked over to the man behind the counter. They stood by watching the girl destroy the entire shop. She grabbed guitars and smashed them into television sets. She tumbled shelves of movies. Old VHS and DVD. She was a destructive force of nature.

When she moved back to him, her chest was heaving with the exertion. She had an endorphin rush flowing through her tiny body, she was beautiful. Joker smiled. She smiled back and raised her gun. She fired instantly, painting the back wall with the shop owner's gray matter. Joker laughed now.

Full maniacal belly laughs. It felt good. She was laughing with him. Her cheeks rosy and eyes bright with mischief.

"You ready to go home now Peach?" he asked.

"Yea, let's go." She walked to the door and unlocked it. She cautiously peeked out, no one was watching. She moved to the car. Joker was leaving as well when he saw a necklace in the case. It caught his eye and he wanted it. He smashed the glass with the butt of the gun. The shattered glass went everywhere. He reached in and grabbed the necklace and stuffed it into his pocket. He moved out to his car and looked at the girl.

She looked up at him and smiled. He tossed the keys at her. She caught them and looked at him, eyes locked on his.

"Drive Peach. It'll be _fun_." He said pulling himself into the passenger side of the car. She hopped in and had to move the seat all the way forward. He explained the basics. She didn't have to be told twice. He drove fast and reckless. It was perfect.

They made it back home to the narrows and she parked the car. They made their way inside and Joker moved to his room, pulling off his outer layers. He laid back on the bed and closed his eyes. He was startled awake when the girl had moved into his bed. She crawled up underneath the blankets, curling up into Joker's side. He sighed and tried to go back to sleep.

When he woke again she was gone. The bed on her side made like she'd never been there. Joker actually wondered if he imagined it to start with. He got up and showered, getting ready for the day. By the time he was dressed and painted, it was midafternoon. He moved through the building, looking for his Peach. He finally found her sitting outside on the small stoop.

"You coming today?" he asked.

"Sure." She stood and walked to the car.

They drove in silence. He didn't like this. Things had changed somewhere. They pulled up to the warehouse and he turned the engine off.

"Something _bothering_ you?" he asked, eyes still forward.

He wanted the _other_ Peach back, not this moody one. He watched through the corner of his eye. She was looking at her hands. Watching her fingers twist.

"Can I ask you something? And you'll be honest, no matter what?" she said her voice quiet.

"I won't lie to you." He said, still looking forward. He had no idea what was about to come out of her mouth.

"Do you think I'm pretty?"

He had to bite back the laughter that almost escaped him. He turned his head to look at her. Her mismatched eyes were locked on him and shiny with tears that could fall any second. He scanned her face.

"Yes. You are the prettiest girl I know and, _uh_, when you grow up, I have no doubt you will be beautiful." He said.

He hated how much the smile on her face made him feel good. He hated her with every fiber of his being at the moment.

"Can I ask _you_ a question?" he said, face serious now.

She nodded. Her smile still there, taunting him.

"What's with the question?" he asked.

"When we were at the mall, a boy came up to me." she paused. "He was talking to me and was _nice_. Then I told him I had to go. When I was walking away I heard some girls talking about me. They said mean things about me and my clothes. They said I was ugly. I got mad. Then I went back to the store I had just left and stole some different clothes. That's why I was late getting back to leave." She paused again. "Are you mad at me?"

He laughed. "No kiddo, I'm not mad." Not at her at least. Fucking teenagers all full of angst and bullshit. He sighed out loud. "I may have to find you somewhere to stay during the day. I can't have you distracting the guys as you, uh, _grow_ up." He said.

"You promised you wouldn't leave me." She sounded panicked.

"I won't leave you, _but_, you need to be safe, I will see you at home, _promise_." He said.

She was sniffling, but the crying had stopped. Joker felt gross inside. It was safer for her to not be around him. She could get hurt. And with his plans coming together, he needed no distractions.

He got out of the car and moved to the door, waiting for her. She got out of the car and followed. They moved in to the building and she headed upstairs, not waiting for him. He let her go, she was mad, let her get it out of her system.

He looked for Ace. It didn't take long to find him.

"Ace, we need to talk." He said, the turned to leave the room of his guys.

The man followed him and then waited.

"I need you to find a nice place for the girl to stay during the day. Someone that will take care of her." Joker bit out, the words bitter in his mouth. He should have just killed her when he found her. Put her out of her misery. Save himself this grief.

"Like for good?" Ace asked.

"Yea," he said.

"Why not just send her to school?" the man asked.

The sound of shots upstairs sounded. Five consecutive shots. Joker rolled his eyes, knowing the girl was throwing a fit. "That's why." He said and stormed to the stairs. He stood in front of the door. Taking a deep breath to calm his anger, he opened the door.

She stood there, feet shoulder distance apart, arms down by her side, gun still in hand, breathing heavy. Her back was to him. He stepped into the room and closed the door. She didn't move.

"What are you shooting at?" he asked, proud that he'd kept his voice calm.

She turned, bringing her arm up and aimed her gun at him. Joker saw red instantly. He took two large steps forward. Her gun dug into his sternum, the heat from the barrel burning his skin through his shirt . He looked down at the girls face. She had no emotion, her face smooth, but streaked with tears.

"Why would you pull a gun on me, _again_, Peach?" he asked.

"You are trying to get rid of me." She said, voice flat.

"No, I'm _not_." He said.

She pushed the gun into his chest. He smiled. He felt that rush again, she might actually shoot him. The thought thrilled him, he could feel the blood rush to his cock. This was why she had to go elsewhere. He couldn't _work _with this distraction.

"I am about to pull a very dangerous job, _you_ can't be there, so I am putting you somewhere safe until I get back from the job." He said.

"Bullshit" she said. The profanity tickled him. He smiled, then slapped her, hard. Her small body flung to the side. The gun still in her hand, but now pointed away. Her free hand cupped her face. The tiny hand outlined by the red mark he caused.

"_Language_, dear." He said then walked to his desk. She had shot his desk, he looked at the five perfect little holes on the front panel. He sighed deeply, moving to sit in his chair.

She stood up, walked over to her bag and put the gun away. Then stood in front of his desk. He looked at her, her curls wild around her face, her eyes slightly puffy and red rimmed from crying. The red making her green eye almost glow, and the brown one look dark. Her face streaked with dried tears. An almost perfect hand print along her cheek. Joker thought she'd never looked so beautiful.

"I hate you." She said.

"I wouldn't expect anything different." He said.

She looked like she wanted to kill him, and his response was obviously not what she was looking for. Joker knew she was wanting to hurt his feelings, but he didn't have many of those.

She turned and stormed out of the door, grabbing her bag. He let her go. At least now he could get some work done.


	6. Chapter 6

**A/N: Almost caught up the back story... Then the real fun begins...and to the BEAUTIFUL people to review, I love you XoXo. **

* * *

_~Smiling right from ear to ear_

_almost laughed herself to tears.~_

_~Avenged Sevenfold~_

* * *

Joker readied his men for this job. They were breaking into Wayne Tower to get the last things he needed. Joker had a group running into the building and doing a basic smash and grab type job. They now knew which areas to avoid to stay off camera until the security was take care of and he had one of his men stay after closing, hidden inside. Once the guy killed the one roaming security guard and got into the control room, thanks to his Peach's code, and killed that one, they would be let in.

They waited until Joker's guy opened the side service door. Joker got out of the van feeling excited. _This_ is what he lived for. This is what he _loved_. They ran into the building and headed towards the basement. The building was dark, small soft yellow lights lined the wall. They hurried, the men getting more excited as they got closer.

"Feel free to make a mess, boys." He encouraged them.

They got to the doors that led to the fun stuff in the basement. This was one of the _better_ parts of the job. Joker chewed the inside of his cheek as he linked up the small explosive. He really loved this part. The controlled explosion blew the door out of the way. The slight ringing in his ears comforted him.

The whole crew made their way down and Joker followed behind. To say he was surprised was a complete understatement. Wayne Enterprises was into some super technical stuff. There were weird weapons too. His eyes moved from crate to crate and shelf to shelf. It was like an amusement park. Fun all around.

The men ran to the crate they needed and grabbed the large disbursement system. They moved to drag the equipment back to the van, Joker moved around to look at the other things. There were a lot of military type items. Joker wanted to play with some, but thought better of it. _That_ could be saved for a later date. He turned, and headed back to the van while his guys made a mess of the place.

While the actual job only took 45 minutes, the drive back seemed to take _forever_. All he wanted was to get back and start working. He felt the excitement shooting through him. They pulled up and he hurried out of the van and headed inside.

"Take it to the work shop boys." He said. He ran up the steps and moved into his office. He looked around for the girl.

She was asleep on the small loveseat. He moved to stand in front of it. He looked down at the girl, she was just as annoying as ever. She was still angry at him, but she'd get over it. He walked around to the back of the small seat and tipped it up, dumping the girl on the floor.

She groaned and stood up. Her eyes were burning with anger. He loved it.

"Rise and shine, princess." He said.

"That hurt, is it time to go home?" She asked, the anger cooling.

"No, Peach, we got work to do. Follow me." He said walking away.

He could hear the small footsteps following him obediently. He smiled as they move to the work shop. The girl had stopped at the doorway. Joker walked to the far wall and grabbed her a breathing mask. He pushed the thing over her face, watching her frown.

"Safety first, doll." He took her hand in his and pulled her to the two large tables.

"What is all of this?" she asked.

"Glad you asked, this is the last piece of my grand gesture for the people of Gotham. Once we fill these babies up, we will release the laughing gas I have _finally_ perfected. They won't know what hit 'em until it's too late."

The girl looked confused. "Why?"

Joker felt his good mood falter, "Why, _what_?"

"Why will it be too late?" she asked.

Joker laughed. "There is no cure for _them_. Once you breathe it, it's a _done_ deal." He smiled. "But you and I won't have to worry. I made us a little medicine to keep it from hurting us." He said.

"What kind of medicine?" She asked, eyes bright now.

"Just a shot." He said walking back to the desk. He rummaged through the desk until he found the little box with the syringe. "I'm gonna have to stick you with this, but it'll only hurt for a second." He said.

"Where's yours?" she asked.

Joker knew he couldn't pull one over on her. "I've already had mine, I've been working a long time on this." He told her.

It wasn't a lie _really. _Joker had found out, by accident, that he was immune to it. He sprayed himself and it just didn't work, after the tests at the train and mall, he assumed he was immune. He had a friend work out _this_ inoculation from his blood. Then, he'd tested that out on _that_ friend. Making sure it was completely safe before he'd give it to the girl. It worked like a charm.

"Okay." She said and closed her eyes.

Joker smiled and lifted the small sleeve of the hot pink shirt she wore. He frowned at the small t shirt, he preferred the dresses she used to wear. He uncapped the needle and grabbed her arm. The shot was over in a second. He had watched her face. The girl didn't even flinch.

"It might burn for a bit, but you'll be fine."

She moved to take off the mask. He smiled when he saw the teeth marks she left on her bottom lip. He moved to the desk and uncovered the containers of bright green liquid. The girl moved up and touched the glass, running her hands along them.

"Let's get to work, I will do this one, watch me carefully, then you do that one." He said, pointing at the second container of the green liquid.

She nodded and watched him as he grabbed the stolen disbursement devices and began hooking up tubes. Once he had the chemical moving into the large metal container he turned to watch the girl.

She made quick work of it. She had the transfer started in minutes. Joker was impressed. She was a quick study.

They sat in silence as the tanks filled. The Bright green liquid disappearing from sight. Joker couldn't help but feel excited. By the end of the week, he would have Gotham broken and begging. He looked over and saw the girl had fallen asleep again, head rested on her hands. He looked at her, really looked. She wasn't the same girl he had rescued. She was a young lady and he didn't know how to feel about that.

He had obviously not thought the whole thing through when he decided _not_ to get rid of her. He loathed that decision often. But she _had_ proven herself useful. She was so serious, too serious for a little girl.

He glanced back at the chemicals, they were all inside the metal containers now. He hurried and removed the transfer tubes. He capped off the tops and _ta-da_, all finished.

He moved to pick up the girl and go home. He lifted her up and she instantly gripped his neck. She relaxed into his grip and was breathing, deep asleep again. Joker moved with purpose out of the door and towards the car. He maneuvered her small body into the seat and moved to drive.

He pulled up to their place and got out. He unlocked the door and went back to get the girl. She was dead weight. He picked her up and went inside. Without thinking he had just went to his room and laid her on the bed.

Joker took a shower and got cleaned up. He was pulling on a shirt when he realized she might not want to stay in his room anymore. They _had_ been fighting more than not lately. The girl had been sleeping most nights in her own room. He moved back into the bedroom and decided she would be fine.

He pulled the blanket up from the bottom of the bed and covered them. He fell asleep pretty quickly. He wasn't sure if he had been dreaming or not but he was being pulled back to consciousness. He felt as if he was being suffocated. He opened his eyes and didn't see anything out of the ordinary, just a perfect view of the cracked ceiling.

He moved his head to look around a noticed the girl. She was laying almost completely on him. She had her head on his chest, her arm wrapped around his waist. He could feel that she even had her leg wrapped around his.

He laid there, looking at her mass of curly hair, her face soft in sleep. He felt a twinge of affection in his chest. The feeling causing him to shoot straight up, tossing the girl back on her side of the bed.

She rubbed her eyes and looked over at Joker's back. "Good morning." She said as she got up and left the room.

Joker watched her leave and felt a burning hatred wash over him. He got up to get dressed quickly. The girl took forever to get dressed and ready. When she stepped foot out of the room Joker was frowning.

"What's all over your face?" he asked.

"Make up, do I look pretty?" She asked.

Joker hated that she did look pretty. "Yea doll, you look gorgeous," He watched her smile, hating her for it "let's go, I got to drop you off today."

She had been smiling, until he dropped that bomb on her. She had been going to a friend of Ace's house on certain days to keep her out of the warehouse. She hated it, Joker had no doubt about that. It was the reason she'd been so mad at him lately.

"Why? I can help you." She said.

"What I have planned isn't for kids." He said.

"I'm not a kid. I'll be 13 soon, I think." She blurted out.

Joker turned and looked at her. "13?" he was shocked, she was small. She barely reached his shoulders. "You sure about that kiddo?" he asked.

She nodded, afraid to speak.

"You're smart. Did your brother teach you to play _helpless_?" he asked, trying to calm himself down. He had suspected she was older than he had thought at first.

She nodded again. "Are you mad at me?" her voice cracked.

"No peach, I'm proud of you, you are a _survivor_, like me." He said.

She nearly knocked the breath out of him when she hugged him. He let her hug him and calm down. He had felt her small frame shaking slightly as she cried. When she pulled away he grabbed her face, hard. He dug the tips of his fingers into her soft cheeks.

"If you _ever_ lie to me again, even by _omission_, I will cut your tongue out of your pretty little mouth, do you understand?" He said face close enough to hers that their noses touched, and he could feel her breath on his face. She nodded.

He held her face for a second longer than necessary, noticing how she had smeared her make up. Her eyes looked bright from the tears and personally, he liked the look, but he knew she wanted it to look like it had before. He swiped his other thumb under her eye, then released her face.

He showed her the makeup on his thumb, "Go fix your make up, then we can go." He said as if he hadn't just threatened her.

She smiled, it was a goofy smile. He watched her as she skipped along to her room as if he'd just told her the best news ever. Joker felt that confusion again. He would never understand this girl. She came back out, make up intact, though her eyes were a bit red.

"Let's go." He said leaving the building.

They drove in relative silence. Joker was replaying the morning in his head, trying to understand why she was smiling after all of that. Joker prided himself as being able to read people, but he'd never really _tried_ to read a teenage girl before. He decided then, that if the girl wanted to play, he'd let her play. He smiled as he drove now.

"I thought I was going to Tracy's?" she asked as he turned towards the warehouse.

"Change of plans, you think you can run with the guys, consider today your tryouts." He said, not looking at her. He missed the overly large grin that was plastered on her face.

"You won't regret it." She said

He already regretted it. They pulled up to the warehouse and she bounced out of the car and into the building. Joker wasn't too far behind her. The men were all over the place preparing for the bit of fun he had planned today.

He found the girl bouncing foot to foot with nervous energy. She was waiting by the bottom of the stairs. He walked up and handed her his keys, "Go to the play room and pick a weapon to have with you, besides your gun. Something quiet."

She nodded and sprinted across to _'the hall of horrors'_, as the guys called it. They hated going near it. She loved it, that's where she played the best. She'd become a pro at torture.

Joker watched the guys, they sported their masks and disguises. He loved this. They were going to cause a bit of trouble. Wreak some Havoc. A bit of fun before the big ending. He chuckled to himself.

He turned to go to his office, he needed to get ready. He didn't have his face on. He moved into the office and grabbed his tins of makeup from one of the drawers. He was getting started when the girl burst through his door. She was swinging the bat she liked to use.

"Good choice." He said.

She moved over and grabbed the tins of paint. "Let me." She said already scooping out the paint.

She worked diligently. Wiping the excess paint on her jeans when she was finished.

"Sit down, peach." Joker said pointing to the top of his desk.

She complied, hopping her tiny body up to the desk. "You have any hair ties?" he asked.

She reached for her bag and pulled out three. He grabbed two of them and started working, He pulled her curls into two pig tails on the sides of her head. After that he looked at her face for a second then grabbed the red paint.

He moved his fingers lightly over her face, he smiled when she tilted her face up to him and closed her eyes. She had complete trust in him. She was infuriating, but he continued. He painted a large red diamond over her green eye. He wiped the paint on her pants and grabbed the black. He carefully ran it along her lips, then dew a small line upwards from each side.

He stepped back and smiled. She looked perfect. "Now you look the part." He said. She snapped her eyes open and smiled. The effect was perfect. The black lines making her face look like it would split any second.

"Let's go grab the boys."

She smiled and grabbed her small gun, putting it in her front pocket. Joker frowned when he saw that. She needed a holster. But she was so tiny, he'd have to get one modified for her. They made their way down stairs and into the room full of ridiculous looking guys.

"Let's load up, you guys know the plan, let's get to it." The men scrambled to the vans at his words. Joker walked to another of the van's this one had Ace and two others waiting outside of it. He moved to the side of the van and got in, Peach right behind him. Ace drove and one goon sat in the passenger seat. The other sat across from Joker and the girl.

Joker watched the man squirm in his seat. He looked over and his girl was staring him down. He laughed then reached over and pinched her on the arm. "Stop spooking the help." He said.

She yelped at the pinch. She turned to face Joker and smiled. "He shouldn't be so easy to spook." She said. She turned back to continue staring at the man. Joker watched her, she would be a force to behold. She was slowly leaning forward, Joker only noticed because he was watching her so intently.

The man hadn't taken his eyes off of her. Out of nowhere, she yelled "BOO!"

The man in the seat jumped so badly he almost slid out of it and onto the floor. The girl began to squeal with laughter. The man across from them was not happy. Joker chuckled along. The girl finally calmed herself and looked over at Joker.

The serious look in her eyes was intoxicating. He felt his cock hardening at the pain they seemed to promise. Maybe the girl was made for this type of work.

He reached over and pinched her again. "Naughty, naughty." He frowned at her. "Save it for _after_." He said, chuckling.

She cut her eyes at him, but nodded. Then turned back to stare, once again, at the man across from her.


	7. Chapter 7

**A/N: this is the last backstory chapter. after this we are ALL caught up :)**

* * *

_~I see nothing in your eyes_

_and the more I see the less I like~_

_~Breaking Benjamin~_

* * *

Joker could feel the excitement start to spread through his limbs. A night of chaos would be a good warm up to the big show later. The girl sat next to him, looking calm and collected. She had finally grown tired of torturing the nameless goon across from her. Joker loved how she followed his orders, somewhat. She had no idea what they would be doing tonight, but she had been more than eager to get in on the fun.

He smiled, there were five groups and each had their own orders. All to take place at the same time. Group one was going to the opera house. They would break in and hold the place up. Joker told them to have fun, as long as it caused a lot of trouble.

Group two was heading to the court house, they had their instructions to wire up the place and take it down in the largest explosion they could rig. That one would be magnificent.

Group three were headed to the Gotham City Zoo. They would be breaking in and releasing as many of the animals they could get to before they were caught. Joker didn't have a particular reason why, but figured it couldn't hurt.

Group four would be driving around, causing random troubles for the night time citizens. Murder and mayhem. The Gotham special. He smiled at that thought.

The last group was his group and they had the most important job. They were breaking into the Gotham City Museum. They would destroy whatever they came across and pick up an item that was currently being housed there.

The girl's voice broke his train of thought. "Are we close?"

"_Almost_ there. Now when we arrive, you will use your bat and just have _fun_." he instructed, lightly flicking the end of her nose.

"What's the point?" she asked.

"No point , just letting off steam before the big job." he said smiling.

"Okay, what do I do if the cops show up?" she asked. Her eyes held no fear, just curiosity.

"Go home." he said. The question reminded him, he had a gift for her. He reached into his pocket. "I got you this." he said holding up the necklace. It dangled in front of the painted up girl.

"What for?" she asked reaching for it.

"No reason." he said putting the necklace on her. There was a small peach charm he had seen at the damned pawn shop. He had also added a key.

"It's pretty," she said smiling, then grabbed the key. "What's this for?"

"That, Peach, is the key to the apartment. Only you and I have a key." He told her.

She looked up to his neck and frowned at the absence of a necklace. "Where's yours?"

He chuckled as he pulled the edge of his shirt out of his pants and lifted it high enough for her to see the still fresh wound. He hissed when she prodded the tender flesh with her small fingers. She outlined the slightly raised spot, then moved them along the tight stitches. Her face serious as she studied it.

The soft touches tinged with pain confused his mind. He shoved her hand away roughly. "Enough." he growled.

"Did that hurt?" she asked.

"Yeah."

"So why did you do it?" she asked, staring at her with her bewitching eyes. He looked into her face, She was genuinely curious.

"Harder to lose this way." he said patting his side.

She laughed, the higher pitched laughter was beautiful. Joker watched as she laughed at him. The van stopped and cut off the giddy display. The girl jumped up to look out of the window.

"This place looks busy, I don't think this is a good idea." she said looking worried.

"_ That _is just the first time jitters talking." He said. He watched as the other three men left the van. The girl was looking at him. "What if I lose you?" she said the panicked look on her face pleased and worried him.

"Then you head home. Simple as that. All bad scenarios lead to you going home." He said leaning close to her face.

"Okay." she said. Then she did something so unexpected. She moved her face forward and kissed him. It was an inexperienced, young teenage kiss. Her painted lips pressed to his and he froze. She pushed a bit harder and then moved away and out of the van.

Joker had not been expecting _that_. He was already worried about his strange attachment to the brat. Now he was worried about her budding affection for him. He pushed the thought aside for now and got out of the van.

They hurried into the back entrance and started to make their way towards the small gala being held at the museum. Joker smiled, glad he'd chosen tonight to do this. It would be a lot more fun.

Guns fired, people screamed, it was beautiful all around. He encouraged Peach to tear it all up, destroy without prejudice. She did so, _perfectly_. Joker took his blade to any artwork he could find. He even cut a few people as well. The security had been disposed of by goon 1 and goon 2 while Ace took care of his part of the job.

They had round everyone still alive up into a large group in the main area of the museum. The boys had started to use zip ties and hook everyone to two different people by the wrists. By the end of it, they looked like a chain of paper dolls. Joker chuckled at the mental image.

He watched the people all lined up. Some cried, most stood still, hoping to not draw attention. Neither of those types called to him. He liked the fighters. He enjoyed that spark of life still fighting to stay alive. They were the mose fun. They were the most unpredictable.

"Ladies and Gentlemen, thank you for being here to, uh, _participate _in the evenings festivities." The wailing began again.

Joker looked over to Peach. She was watching two people very intently. As if she felt him staring at her, she turned and locked eyes with him. Joker nodded once and she took it as her cue to have fun. He enjoyed the smile she flashed him, knowing she could do whatever was on her strange little mind. He watched as she skipped up to the line of hostages.

"_This _is my lovely assistant, play nice." he said.

He left her there to gave fun with the other two guys as he moved to look for Ace. It was easy to find him, he was exactly where he was supposed to be. Good man.

"Did you get it?" Joker asked.

"It's already out in the van." he said.

"Good get it back to the warehouse and wait there. We will be along after we finish up here."

Ace nodded and left Joker standing there in the smaller wing of the museum. He was looking around, enjoying the echoing screams of the hostages, when the scream suddenly changed. That screaming was coming from the girl. He'd heard it before. He cracked his neck loudly and moved to see what was happening now.

The sight he found was _not_ what he had expected to see. The chain of people dipped in the center where three of them were on the floor. Dead or unconscious, that didn't bother him at all. What had caught his full attention was the Batman was there, He had the girl locked in his arms. She was fighting with everything she had in her tiny body. He was impressed, Batman seemed to have a bloody nose, so she got one good hit in at least. He watched as the bat tried to get ahold of her. Tried to keep from hurting her. Joker felt the burn of annoyance. How dare the bat touch _his_ girl. Peach was his and _only_ his.

Joker hunched his shoulder slightly and moved to the open area. He saw his two goons knocked out and tied together. _Morons_. He walked up to the line of people and grabbed one random lady, holding a knife to her throat.

"Let the kid go Batsy. Its time for the _grown_ _ups_ to play." he said.

The bat turned to him and he saw the anger on the girls face. She hated being helpless.

"Joker, let the woman go."

"Ah, Ah, you are in no position to _bargain_. You drop the kid and then we will see what happens." he said, pressing the blade harder into the woman's neck.

"Fine, don't hurt her." the bat said as he lowered Peach to the ground.

As soon as her feet touched the floor she began fighting. She braced her feet bending her knees slightly and then slammed her head back into the bat's nose. The blood poured fresh. Joker burst into laughter. He couldn't have been more proud. She pulled her small gun from her pocket and shot the bat in the chest. It didn't hurt him, but it took Batsy's breath for a minute.

The girl locked eyes with him, reached for her necklace, and then grabbed her baseball bat and ran. Joker smiled. Good girl.

Once she had cleared the area, Joker looked back to the Bat. He was watching the girl run too. That was not good, he had to stay and play. The Bat was not allowed near her. Deciding to get the figurative spotlight back, he pressed the blade down and sliced the poor woman's throat.

"You said you'd let her go." Batman roared as the woman bled out.

"I don't remember ever agreeing to _that_." he said as he let the woman's body fall into the mess of blood on the floor.

"Joker, this is over, let the rest go. The GCPD should be here any second."

"You sure about that? The city has been a bit, uh, _crazy_ tonight." he said chuckling.

Batman watched as Joker moved down the line of hostages, tapping each on the shoulder, like a strange version of duck, duck, goose. Joker loved having Batman's attention, but there were too many witnesses around to talk freely with him. Joker had reputation to uphold.

Joker figured the girl had enough of a head start to get to a safe place. She was smart. He reached down and grabbed the hands of the two people in front of him and cut the zip-tie. They both pulled free and fell away from the other. Joker stepped through the line and started to walk nearer to the Bat. Now it was time for a bit of fun. Joker lunged forward, his knife finding a weak spot and drawing blood from Batman. Joker jumped back just as quick, avoiding the gloved hands of the Bat.

"You almost got me there Batsy." he smiled. "Don't give up now." he taunted.

"Joker, you know how this is going to go, I will take you to Arkham. Lets avoid anymore bloodshed."

He laughed. "I _love_ the bloodshed. It's one of the few things I live for." He watched for any reactions. Nothing. Joker frowned.

Batman looked at him then asked. "Who's the kid?"

"No one you need to worry about." Joker deflected.

"Is she yours?" Batman asked.

Joker froze, his hand falling to his side. "Mine?" he laughed, "_Mine_? Oh Batsy, you _are_ funny. I guess she is _technically _mine, but probably not the way _you _mean, I'm sure. I have raised her, for a while. Taught her everything that I know." he lowered his voice. "_Everything." _he said again.

Batman lunged forward and tackled the Joker. The grappled on the floor for several minutes, before Batman finally had him subdued. Joker wasn't too worried. He had escaped Arkham before, he could do it again. The batman pulled him to his feet and moved him out of the building and into a tank of a vehicle. He shoved Joker inside and put on a seat belt.

Joker laughed at the gesture. The batman had just been pummeling him and he's now worried about a seatbelt. He stopped laughing when Batman got inside. The machine purred to life and they were moving quick.

"So, Batsy, you know the city hates you, right?" Joker tried to start a conversation.

"Shut it." Batman replied.

"The kid got you good huh? Your nose may be broken. You look _way_ more terrifying dressed as a bat with all the blood on your face. Can't _believe_ she shot you. Kids these days huh?" Joker continued.

"I will knock you out."

"What do _you_ want to talk about? It's an awfully long drive to the loony bin." he said.

"I have nothing to say to you." Batman said, still not even looking at him.

"Fine."

It was several minutes later when Batman broke the silence. "Why keep a kid around? Doesn't seem like your style."

Joker was elated, Batman wanted to have girl talk. He held the bubbling happiness inside and just smiled. "You want the _truth_?" he asked.

Batman looked at him through the mask, "Are you capable of telling the truth?"

"When I feel like it, and I'm in a generous mood."

"Fine, yes, I want the truth."

Joker leaned his head back into the seat and closed his eyes. "I don't _know_ why." he said.

Batman looked over at the clown next to him. "Tell me where she went and I will help her."

Joker laughed. "She would _destroy_ you." Joker said with pride.

"She'd a child." Batman argued.

"No, no, no. She's so much _more_ than that. She is a teenage force of destruction. She is smart and ruthless."

"You care about her?" batman asked, sounding surprised.

"I hate her." he frowned, that wasn't completely true. "I love her, I will more than likely kill her one day. But until that day, she _is_ mine."

Batman took a deep breath, "You can't own her, she is a person."

"She's _my_ person, I saved her life, it's mine to own. She's not my prisoner, she likes me." he said without any malice. Like it was a simple fact of life.

Batman was silent the rest of the way. He didn't like this side of the Joker. It made him seem more and less human all at once.

They arrived at the gates of the asylum and the Batman was buzzed through. He parked the small tank and pulled Joker from the passenger seat. The security from the inside surrounded them, all pointing their guns at Joker. They all looked terrified and Joker loved it. They walked him right into the front door. Last time it had been through a loading doc type room. This was _nicer_. Joker didn't fight, he allowed the Bat to lead him into the medical wing of the hospital. This would be fun. Last time they had pumped him full of anti psychotics. They had little to no effect on him.

The nurses looked scared, they were shaking like leaves. Joker saw one headed towards him with an IV line, Her hands shaking so badly. He started feeling a bit nervous.

"Listen toots, you can put in the IV, I won't fight you, just get it right the first time." she looked at him and swallowed audibly.

"Ok, Mr. Joker." she said trying to calm her nerves.

He laughed, "Mr. Joker, I like that."

The nurse smiled shakily and began the IV line with no issues.

Joker was glad, he didn't like being a pin cushion. The other nurses worked but never made eye contact or spoke to him. They had a tray full of all kinds of vials and empty syringes. This wouldn't be good.

His doc from before came in, he was an older guy. Joker couldn't remember his name but he never forgot a face. They had laid him back on a bed and began to strap him down. The doc came up and began talking to the nurses and Joker tried to listen in. He heard the names of a few different medicines. Olanzapine, Diazepam, Haldol, Joker had been on all of these at one point during his last stay, but never at the same time. He had a very high resistance to medicines.

The cold of the IV bag was traveling up his arm, he watched as the doc started to pick up the syringes the nurse had laid down. The were all now full. The burn of the medicine moved through his IV and up his arm. Some had been given directly in his thigh. The groggy feeling took over and he was out like a light.


	8. Chapter 8

**A/N: I don't think there will be any more flashback times. It's all moving along...loving the reviews and nice words. They warm my warped little heart ;)**

* * *

_~so sorry you're not here,_

_ been sane too long,_

_ my vision's so unclear,_

_ now take a trip with me, _

_but don't be surprised when things aren't what they seem.~ _

_~Avenged Sevenfold~_

* * *

Joker woke from his drunken sleep, groaning. He moved from the bed and made his way to the bathroom. He emptied his bladder and moved to the shower to get the sour smell of alcohol off of his skin. When he emerged from the small bathroom, he felt like a new man.

He remembered the girl. Well, he remembered her much _smaller_. Not that she was very tall. He dressed and moved to see if she was still there. He made his way up to her room and frowned. The door was locked. She was either gone, or didn't want to see him. He turned and left.

He had more important things to do. He needed to go see if his warehouse was still standing. He had put quite a large sum of Mob money in an account and had all the buildings he owned set up to pay everything from them all under the alias, Mr. Joe White.

He wasn't going to walk, it was too damned far for that with his _beautiful_ hangover. He walked a bit and finally boosted a small car. The drive was refreshing. He looked at the somewhat ravaged city. There was a lot of construction going on to rebuild the moral and the broken spirit of Gotham.

He pulled up to the large building. It looked abandoned. He wasn't surprised by that. It had apparently been years since he had been caught. He parked the stolen car and moved to the doors. He took a large breath and pulled the doors open quickly. It was very dark.

He moved into the building, leaving the doors open to let in a bit of light. He moved to the wall with the light switch and flipped it on. Surprisingly a few of the lights still worked. The place was covered in a thick layer of dust. He moved through the building and smiled. Besides the dust, it was exactly as he had left it. He moved through the lower floor, down the hall to his favorite room. He opened the _playroom_.

It was the same, only thing missing was Peach's bat. He turned to go to his workshop. This was the most important part. He pushed open the doors and felt the anger instantly. The containers he had left here full of his Toxin were gone. If he wanted to pursue that idea, he'd have to start all over.

He left the room and stomped, quite childishly, to his office. He opened the door and was shocked to see Peach sitting at his desk.

"What are you doing?" he asked.

The girl looked up, her face very serious. "Waiting for you to show up." She said then looked back down at the book she was reading.

He didn't move any further into the room. He just stood there. For the first time, in a very, very long time, he was at a loss on what to do.

She finished the page she was reading and dog eared the corner, setting the book down on the desk. She stood up and gestured for his to take his seat.

He continued to watch her. She stood there, waiting. Her face blank of any emotion, though her eyes were lit with something. He rolled his shoulders and walked over to his desk. He sat in the chair and felt instantly relaxed in the familiarity of it.

"A lot has changed since you left." She said.

He looked at her, a quick survey from head to toe. "_Obviously_." He said.

She smiled. "The guys who made it back that night took off once they heard you were captured. Ace stayed for a while. After a few months he moved on." She told him.

Joker knew Ace was a good man, he would have to look him up again. He was as loyal as they came. "_You're_ still here." He said, voice flat.

She didn't reply. He waited. He knew she had more to say, she _always_ had more to say.

"What happened after I left?" she asked.

He smiled, she never did disappoint. "The bat and I had a dance. He gave me a ride to the loony bin. Then, well, it all gets fuzzy. They had me on a lot of high grade drugs." He paused. "I couldn't do what I wanted. I was like a zombie." He shuddered.

He looked up at her and saw the damned tears she had trying to escape down her face.

"Don't cry for me doll. I'm _not_ a good guy." Silence sat between them, Joker sighed.

"You didn't come back." She said barely a whisper.

"Oh kiddo, I wanted to, they were smarter this time at Arkham. They drugged me _heavily_." He didn't understand why he was trying to justify not being here.

She turned quickly. "I told you it was a bad idea. We should have just stuck with the big job." She spat at him.

He stood from his desk and she stepped back. "That's life. You have to _learn_ to roll with the punches." He said stepping around the desk.

She still watched him, but didn't speak again. "What did you do after?" he asked.

"After what?"

"After you realized I wasn't coming back." He said.

"I did what I had to do to survive." She said, locking her eyes on him.

"Elaborate." He said. He was getting tired of having to pull the information from her. He wanted to see what his girl had done to get by without him. He needed to hear it all.

She let out a small growl before finally starting to talk.

"I holed up in the apartment until I had to get food. I would go out at first and steal what I needed. If I got caught I'd play the innocent hungry child until it became too obvious I was not a child anymore." She paused. "Then I just started to use that to my advantage. There are plenty of perverts in the Narrows."

Joker felt his anger building. He wasn't sure he wanted to hear anymore. He would have to burn the entire city to the ground. He would gut the Narrows and line the streets with the corpses.

She started talking again, he struggled to hear her over the noise in his head.

"It was easy, luring the assholes into the nearest alley and then I would gut them. I watched each one die and it made me feel strong. I took what I needed from their wallets and continued on my way."

Joker was staring now, he was picturing her, covered in crimson. He felt the rush of arousal hit him. He closed his eyes and shook the thoughts away. This was Peach, this was his girl. It felt strange to feel excited like this. When he opened his eyes again, she was watching him. Her head cocked to the side.

He laughed. She still mimicked him, probably without realizing it. "_What_ else?" he asked.

"Well, now I just do what I want." She said.

"Hmm. Well, I am back now, and without Batman to stop us, we can continue the fun." He said.

She crossed her arms, the action catching his attention. Joker looked away quickly. She giggled. He loved the sound of it.

She walked over to him and stood there, looking up to catch his eyes. She had the biggest smile plastered on her face. Joker was mesmerized again, the eyes got him every time.

"I missed you." She said, launching her body into his. Her arms around him in a surprisingly strong hug. He pulled his arms free, and held them up, unsure if he should hug her back. He finally put his arms down and gave her an awkward squeeze.

She smiled and practically bounced in place with excitement. The movement pressing her chest into his. He shoved her away when the feeling started shooting pleasure straight to his dick. She landed on the ground, still laughing and smiling.

He moved back to his desk and sat down quickly. She had to stop touching him. It made his mind go fuzzy. First things first. He had to figure out how to announce his comeback to the city.

"Peach?" he said, "let's throw a party, hmm?" he said.

She had gotten back to her feet and moved to sit on his desk. He looked at her, she was still just so tiny. She pulled a phone from her pocket and started typing on the screen. Joker watched as she pushed another button and the phone was on speaker. It was ringing.

"What now?" a familiar voice said.

"I need you to meet me at the warehouse. It's important." She said, winking at Joker.

"Give me a half hour, I'll be there." He said

"Bring pizza, I'm starving." She said.

"Sure brat. I'll be there."

She tapped the screen and the phone went silent.

"Was that Ace?" he asked.

"Yep." She said.

Joker smiled. She had made this all a bit easier. This was why he had kept her around. She was useful, even as a kid.

"Did you want to put your face on?" she asked innocently as she leaned over the desk to rummage through the drawer.

Joker watched her move, noticing the top she wore gaped enough that he got a full view of the lacy bra she had on under it. He couldn't take his eyes off of her. Thankfully she leaned back up and held his paint in her hands.

She opened the tins and started painting his face. He hadn't moved a muscle. He was afraid if he did he would hurt her. His brain was all haywire, the feelings all mixed up. The rage and arousal mixed together, as she kept touching him. Those with the protective feeling had his body warring with itself.

She did just like the last time, she smeared the greasy paint on him, wiping her hands on her jeans when she needed. When she finished, Joker had the maelstrom of his emotion back under control. He moved away.

She put the paint up and slid off of the desk. Smiling at the confusion on Joker's face. He paced the room, she watched him move back and forth. The sight was calming. She had missed him. Joker felt better with every step he took. He needed to get a plan going until he could figure out what to do about his missing toxin.

The voice from the warehouse pulled him back to the present.

"You in the Boss's office, brat?" Ace called.

"Yep, come up and see what I found." She called back.

Joker watched the mischief sparkle in her two tone eyes. He waited as the man walked up the metal stairs. The door was pushed fully open and in walked Ace with two pizza boxes. He walked up and set them on the desk and hugged the girl.

Joker saw red. "Hands _off_ if you want to keep them." He said, voice low.

Ace turned to face him. "Boss, is that you?"

"In the flesh." Joker said, still frowning slightly.

"When did you get out?" he asked.

"Recently, glad to see you still alive." Joker said waving off the man's questions.

Joker moved to the desk and opened the top pizza box. He grabbed a slice and started to eat. He watched Ace look from him to the girl and back.

Finally after devouring half of the pizza, Joker sat in his chair. His Peach had started eating after he did. She seemed all too happy to have him back. Ace had eaten a slice but stayed mostly quiet.

Joker kept his eyes on the girl. She was bouncing around the room like she was unable to sit still, all while eating several slices of the greasy pizza. He wasn't sure how he would deal with her. She'd been running wild for however long he was drugged in that damned hospital. She was obviously smart enough to not get herself on the radar of that nut job who tried to take over the city.

She was a lot tougher than she looked. That he had already known. She may be tiny, but she was dangerous. Joker stood abruptly from his desk and wiped his hands on his pants.

"Time to go." He said and walked from the room. He was not surprised to hear her bouncing around behind him. Back where she should be. He left Ace to do his thing. It felt good to start getting things back on track. He frowned at his stolen car. That wouldn't do. He turned to see her holding keys out to him.

"For me?" he said grabbing the keys, laughing.

She followed behind laughing along with him. They made their way around to the back and there was his car. He had missed her. He climbed in and grunted as he moved the seat back. He could definitely tell she had been driving.

The girl slid into the passenger seat and smiled.

"What?" he said looking at her.

"Nothing." She said, grin still wide on her face.

He started the car and drove them home. It felt just like old times. He parked behind the building and they made their way up to the door. He walked in and headed for his room. She was right behind him. He shrugged out of his coat and vest. He moved to unbutton the shirt he was wearing, but stopped, he could feel her eyes on him. They were like two pinpricks of a laser, burning him.

He turned to look at her. She sat on the edge of his bed, eyes locked on him. He turned away and unbuttoned the shirt. He pulled his suspenders down and let them hang down. Joker took off the shirt and tossed it to the side. He moved to the bed and laid down not looking at her. He put his forearm across his eyes and smiled as he used his foot to shove her off the end of the bed and onto the floor.

She yelped as she hit the floor. Joker chuckled at the sound. He had tensed waiting for her to attack like normal. When nothing happened he peeked from beneath his arm. She was standing at the foot of the bed. She was just looking at him. Her eyes locked on him. When he met those eyes, he hated her. He hated that she would look him in the eyes. She would hold his gaze, without a care.

She still didn't speak. He started to feel unnerved. "What?" he spat out.

She still didn't say a word, she kept her gaze on his. She reached for the button on her jeans, Joker's eyes followed the movement. He was at a loss. He watched her, slowly, undress. She stood in front of him, it just her underwear, If you could call it that. Joker didn't move.

He was unsure how to handle this situation. He was painfully aroused, and completely disgusted. He watched her turn towards his closet, she pulled a Tshirt out and pulled it over her head. He watched as she slowly walked to the other side of the bed and climbed in, under the covers.

Joker got up and moved into the bathroom. He closed the door and stared at his reflection. What was the girl playing at? He grabbed a rag and scrubbed his face clean. Well, clean-ish. He finally left the small bathroom and moved to turn off the lights, he walked back to the bed and kicked off his shoes. He moved under the thin blanket and laid on his back. He could feel the heat from her tiny body from across the bed. It was strangely relaxing. He was almost asleep when she turned to him. She curled her small body along the side of his.

Joker was wide awake again. He leg had moved over his, he knee brushing along the side of his growing erection. Her arm had moved around his chest. Her breasts pushed into the side of his arm, and her breath at his neck. His entire body told him to run. This was not right. He didn't dare move a muscle. He wasn't even sure if he was breathing. He lay there, listening to her even breaths, the heat of her finally lulling him to sleep.


	9. Chapter 9

**A/N: not much to say...Shout out to QueenMarie1345 I grin like an idiot when I see your reviews. Even if its just a word or two, it means so much, with that said... just read it... ;)**

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_~She's funny, she' s shining, she's happy,_

_I fucking hate her to death,_

_She's caring, she's fun, she's smiling,_

_I fucking hate her to death.~_

_~Insane Clown Posse~_

* * *

Joker considered himself a _simple_ man. He really only had a few obsessions in life. He was not driven by the things that drove other men. He ate sparingly, only when his body needed fuel. Though he did love sweets. He only gambled with his life, he was no _slave_ to money. He didn't feel a pull to fast, flashy cars, though the thrill of driving anything recklessly was _titillating_. He didn't _suffer_ from lust of the flesh either. Joker had been with women before, while fun, it was just a distraction. It wasn't a driving force for his goals. He was usually too busy in a particular job to worry too much about that.

He usually suffered the inability to get _good_ sleep. He was hyperaware of his surroundings most of the time. This caused his to be a light sleeper _usually_. He would catch sleep when his body was tired, no real schedule. He concluded through self diagnosis, he may be an adrenaline junkie. The though was hilarious to him. The problem was, it was hard to get the excitement _high_ enough.

After his last release from Arkham, sleep had been happening more often. He had figured it was to heal the damage from all the drugs. He had to readjust to the whirlwind that was his brain. Once the residual chemicals moved completely out of his system, well, who knows what fun he could have.

He stirred from his sleep. Something was _off_. He opened his eyes to see a mass if crazy curls. He was lying on his side, he frowned, trying to move his arm, it was stuck under the damned girl. His movements caused her to stir slightly. He froze as she ground her ass into his, now, uncomfortable erection. He was at a loss for what to do.

He was afraid to move, afraid she would start that wiggling again. He didn't need this kind of distraction. He needed to escape. His heart pounded with the adrenaline that now coursed through him. He had decided to move when she turned. Her half asleep body now draped over his. She wrapped an arm around his body, hand on his bare back and hooked a leg over his hip.

Her head was just below his chin, face tucked into his chest. He didn't like this, her soft breath on his chest felt _odd_. His body enjoyed it, while his head felt conflicted. He moved his arm to push her away, pausing when her nails pressed into the flesh on his back. The tiny sharp pains clouded his head. He didn't move, his head and body were not agreeing with how to handle this situation.

His hand moved, he placed it on her bare leg. He unknowingly searched for the small scar on her thigh, his thumb stroking over the small pitted shape. The familiar little mark helped ground him back to the reality that this was _his_ Peach. He stayed like that for a while, absently tracing the small scar. When she started to stir awake, he dug his fingers hard into the flesh of her thigh. He knew he couldn't have her see _that _moment of weakness. Her eyes shot open. She locked onto his eyes, she had the nerve to smile at him.

He relaxed his grip on her and pushed her away roughly. As soon as she was untangled from him, he was up and out of the room, acting as if his skin didn't feel on fire. He moved to the shower and turned it on full blast. The coldest he could. The shock of it calmed him. Cleared his mind of the morning so far. He hid in his bathroom like a coward until he heard her get up and leave.

He got out and walked into his room, grabbing clothes. Normal clothes. He pulled on the boxers, jeans and a t shirt. He felt uncomfortable at best. He had a bit of daytime work to do, he needed his normal face. He grabbed a hoodie from the closet and pulled it over his head. That felt a little better. He put his shoes on his feet and a few knives in his pockets. Last was his fake ID and the money he had on hand.

He had some business things to take care of. Last night he had a dream. It looked fun. Today he would make that all happen. Well, he would start the ball rolling to make it all happen. He knew the perfect place to stage his comeback. It would be glorious. He turned to leave when he literally ran into the girl.

"You leaving?" she asked.

"I have some _business_ to take care of." He said not looking at her face.

"What business?" she asked.

"_My_ business." He said turning to walk past her.

"Drop me off on the way?" she asked.

He grunted and moved outside. She was right behind him. They silently drove into downtown Gotham. The traffic was minimal. The buildings slowly being reconstructed, it made everything a bit loud. People rushed around hectically. It was an improvement, the abundance of cops patrolling was _interesting_. Joker was deep in his thought about his next moves.

"You can drop me off here. I'll find a way home on my own." She said starting to get ready to get out of the car.

"You need money?" he asked, angry at himself that he even cared.

She smiled so big, but shook her head no. Quickly leaning over, she kissed his cheek, then got out of the car. He watched as she practically skipped down the sidewalk. He forced himself to concentrate. He had a lot to get done for his grand return to the city's radar. He couldn't afford the distraction that _she _always caused.

He drove another mile or so still in his bad mood and pulled into the small office parking garage. He hurried from the parking space to the small elevator. He stepped in and hit the button for the 6th floor. Boy would his lawyer be excited to see him.

Turns out his lawyer wasn't as excited as he hoped. The man jumped a foot into the air when Joker barged into his office. He chuckled lightly as the man tried to hurry off of the phone call he was currently on. He sat across from the man and waited patiently. Joker looked around the small office. It seemed to have survived the wrath of Bane. When the lawyer hung up the phone, he straightened his tie and cleared his throat.

"Mr. White, nice to see you again." He said.

Joker watched him for a second. "Do you _really_ mean it?"

The lawyer visibly paled. "Of course I do." he cleared his throat again. "You are one of my better paying clients." He said truthfully. "I was worried that something had happened to you, It's been a while."

Joker laughed now. "Glad to hear that you _missed_ me. I have been out of the loop, but I am back now. I wanted to check up on my investments and need your help to acquire a new property." He said.

The lawyer started to pull up different files on his laptop and grabbed a pen and paper. He scribbled down something then handed the paper to Joker. He took the small scrap of paper and read the number written on it. He looked up at the lawyer, raising his eyebrow in question.

"When Bane took over Gotham, a lot of people lost a lot of money. But knowing who you are, I didn't invest like I would have anyone else. Your money was not in the Gotham banks, yours is out of country actually. The accounts are growing steadily." He said looking pleased with himself.

"Good, very good." Joker grabbed a pen and scribbled an address on the other side of the scrap of paper. "This is the property I would like to purchase. Make it happen." He said.

"Yes sir, Mr. White." The lawyer stood when Joker did.

"Till next time." He said and left the building.

The lawyer sat at the laptop and typed in the address. He laughed out loud as he looked at the property Joker wanted to buy. The clown prince of crime wanted to buy Amusement mile.

Joker was not sure _why _he had dreamed about Amusement mile. The boardwalk type amusement park was long abandoned. It was dark and the gates were chained closed. He knew it would be perfect. It would be amazing after he slapped some paint on it. This was his best idea yet. It had all the characteristics of a good time, _well_, when he was done it would. He had a feeling, this would be beautiful.

He drove back to the apartment and parked the car. He sat in the driver's seat for a minute. He rubbed his face, trying to decide what to do with the girl. She was too bold. She wasn't scared of him. She touched him whenever she pleased. _That_ would not do. Not. At. All.

He made his way inside and could smell food. She was home. He moved to his small apartment and pulled off the hoodie and kicked off his shoes. He hated that his stomach growled at the smell of her cooking. He walked into his bathroom and smiled. On the counter was a box of hair dye. She had thought about him while she was out today.

He relieved his bladder and moved to find the girl. It didn't take long. She was up in her apartment, cooking spaghetti. He stood in her doorway and watched her move. She was quick and efficient. Though he chuckled as she had to get on a footstool to reach the top of the cabinet for the colander.

She turned, the glare on her face lightened when she saw him. He frowned. He was going to have to squash this affection she had for him. He moved into the apartment and walked over to the small dining table. He sat down in the seat and watched her.

She brought the food over to the table and handed him a plate. He set the food in front of him and waited. She sat down and started to eat. He slowly ate, enjoying the food immensely. She finished her plate and leaned back, rubbing her flat belly.

"How did your business go?" she asked.

"Fine." He said taking another bite. He chewed slowly, he didn't want to tell her about any of it. She was _NOT_ the same Preach. He had no idea if he could _trust _her. She was watching him.

"I got you something." She said and stood taking her plate to the sink. He watched as she hurried to the other room and returned with something behind her back. "Close your eyes." She said.

He looked at her like she had lost her mind. Maybe she had. She bought something for him. He turned to face her and closed his eyes. He heard the rustling of plastic and paper. Then she grabbed his hand and put heavy plastic in it.

He opened his eyes and saw a cell phone. "_Why_ did you get me a phone?" he asked.

"So I can get ahold of you and you can get ahold of me." She said.

"Why would I _want_ that?"

She cut her eyes at him. Then smiled. She shrugged her slim shoulders and moved to put the leftover food away. Joker looked down at the phone and pressed the button on it. The screen lit up and he saw a picture of her on it. Frowning, he put the phone on the table and finished his food.

"Peach?" he said.

She turned and looked at him. "Yea?"

"Thanks for the phone." He said. She walked over and took his empty plate.

"No problem." She said. "I added you to my plan. If you are going to do bad things, use a burner."

"I'm _not_ stupid." He said.

She didn't reply. He sat there in the chair watching her, her hair was long, almost to her waist, making the curls relax a bit. She moved constantly bouncing on the balls of her feet. She turned abruptly. She grabbed the chair she had been setting in and moved it in front of him.

"We need to talk." She said.

Joker didn't move. They sat there, their knees touching for a few minutes. "Talk." He finally said.

"Why do you hate me?" she asked.

He narrowed his eyes at her. He was unsure what she was playing at. "I don't _hate_ you." He said.

"You do. I can tell. You blame me don't you?" she asked, eyes brimming with tears.

"Blame you? For _what_?" He fucking _hated_ her tears.

"Getting you sent to Arkham."

He laughed, that was the funniest thing he'd heard in a while. "No, I don't blame you, Batman loves, well, _loved_ sending me there. It was _our_ thing." He joked.

"Then why?"

"Why what?" he was getting annoyed.

"You are acting weird." She said.

Joker leaned forward, putting his head in his hands. He pulled a bit roughly at the roots of his hair. The act eased the tension headache that was starting.

He spoke without looking up. "Peach, I spent the last few years on a lot of _special_ drugs, then I _wasn't_. It's got my brain all _fuzzy_. I'm getting back to me, but it's taking time. Let's not worry about any of that. I don't _hate_ you. I'm not mad at you." he paused looking up at her. She had a look on her face that made his stomach turn. "Stop acting like a love sick teenager." He said. He slid his chair back as he stood up and left without saying another word.

He moved back to his room and felt restless. He moved to the small bathroom again and started coloring his hair. He made a huge mess. It felt good to look more like himself. He cleaned up and moved to his bed. He took off the wet shirt and jeans. He was asleep almost instantly.

He didn't hear the door open nor did he feel the small body climb in next to him. He was dreaming of the amusement park again. The death and destruction in such a happy place. He jerked awake and noticed it was still dark. He turned to his side and came face to face with the sleeping girl. Her face was soft while she slept. Her skin so smooth.

Maybe he _did_ hate her. He wanted nothing more at the moment than to _mar_ the beauty of her face. He reached his hand up and touched the tip of her nose. His stained fingertip moved down to the plump top lip. He felt those feelings stir again. His fingertip pulled lightly on her bottom lip.

Her lips parted, and he looked at her mouth. The urge to hurt her and the urge to touch her mingled in his brain. He traced her lip with his finger, he lost the control he had been holding on to. He leaned forward and kissed her soft mouth, moving his tongue into the heat, running it along her sleeping tongue and across her teeth. Her teeth bit down instinctively, capturing his tongue, slightly drawing blood. He let out a groan, enjoying the flair of pain. She released the abused flesh and started to kiss him back.

He enjoyed the taste of blood mixed into the stolen kiss. He enjoyed it too much, before it moved too far, he pulled away. She was looking at him. Eyes wide and full of questions. She smiled, his blood smeared along her bottom lip. He felt his body reacting again. That would not do, he was _stupid_ to kiss her. She was definitely an unwanted distraction.

He looked away from her, eyes locked on the damned ceiling.

"Go to sleep." He said.

She didn't say anything. She didn't moved either. He laid there, staring at the ceiling until the sun shone through the boarded up window. He got up and dressed. He needed air, he needed to think. He pulled the hood up over his now very green hair and started to walk through the Narrows.


	10. Chapter 10

**A/N: we will start to learn a bit more about Peach. just little nibbles of info. I had planned to post this one on Monday but the ever faithful QueenMarie1345 made me decide to post this today. Hopefully updates will continue to be every Thursday. XoXo**

* * *

_~At slow speed, we all seem focused,_

_In motion we all seem wrong~_

_~Alien Ant Farm~_

* * *

He returned to the apartment after he was sure she had left. The thoughts in his head were scattered and confused. When he stepped inside, he was happy to find the building empty. He had some work to do before he got down to his homecoming party he was planning. There were a lot of small things to prepare before the big scheme would be ready to go. He would have to invest time and money into this one, luckily for him he was in abundance of _both_ at the moment.

He paced the small apartment, the repetition calming his body so his mind could think a bit clearer. He ticked through the things going right now. His lawyer was getting the park for him, which was the easiest, and biggest, part. The rest would _mostly_ be his job. He needed to get ahold of Ace. He could get the manpower going for this.

Joker hated to admit it, but needed that damned phone. He was pretty sure he'd left it upstairs. He stopped pacing and looked at his ceiling. His shoulders drooped and he moved to get the gift from _her_ apartment. He stomped up the stairs and turned to face her door. He _knew_ she wasn't in there. He had no reason to hesitate. The fact that he did made the rage boil in his belly. He moved to the door and tried the knob. It was locked. He chuckled to himself, where was the _trust_?

He reached for the thin blade in his pocket and jimmied the door open rather easily. The blade slid between the jamb and the door. One good tap and ta-da! Open door. He pushed lightly on the door and listened to the squeaky hinge. He stepped into the small space and looked around. Lucky for him she kept a tidy place.

He moved to the bedroom and looked quickly. There on the nightstand was the phone. He walked over and grabbed it. He slipped the phone into his pocket and turned to leave. He wasn't _planning_ on snooping, honest. But she had so few items in the room. No personal things really. Nothing on the walls, no girly decorations. He smiled. His eyes moved to the small desk that sat against the wall. _That_, he noted, was a mess. It looked highly out of place in the clean room.

He walked over to see what his girl was into now a days. The top was lined with books. He ran his fingers along the spines. These were _school_ books? The kid was smart. She had Calculus, Chemistry, Physical Science, even Statistics and Creative Writing. _Neat_. He moved to the drawers, the first one held candy. _Tons_ of sugary goodness. He reached in and grabbed a handful, tucking them into his pocket. He moved to the next and laughed.

She had several ID's. All with different ages, names and hair colors. They looked professional. He was impressed. He shuffled through them. Vivian Jones, _Boring_. Brittany Evans, _sheesh_. He cringed at the picture, she did _not_ make a cute redhead. Sheila Douglas, not bad. Harleen Quinzel. He paused, what kind of name was _that_? He tossed the ID's back into the drawer.

There was an envelope in the back of the drawer, it held a nice chunk of cash. Smart girl. He put everything back and closed the drawer. The last drawer was full of newspaper clippings and articles on him. Most of them were before his first stint at Arkham. He smiled. _Those_ were the fun times. He closed the drawer. His girl had been busy, busy, busy.

He was on a roll now, he couldn't _help_ but continue to look around. He moved to the closet and shuffled through the clothes. Her clothes were hung up, by color. He cringed at the order and neatness. No item was out of place. There was a shelf with shoes paired up neatly. He had the urge to move everything. He giggled as he switched the clothing. He _hoped_ she would see the fun in it, he moved her shoes. Hiding a few right shoes leaving the closet in disarray. He moved to the bathroom. It was a _mess_. He smiled. She had make up everywhere. Smudged on the counter and mirror. Toppled deodorant sticks and used make up wipes. He chuckled and opened the top drawer by the sink.

Mixed in with small tubs of face cream was tins of his grease paint. He smiled at the thought of her getting all painted up. He shut the drawer and turned to leave. He suddenly felt very panicked. He hurried out of her small apartment. He moved to his own place and sat on the bed. His pulse calmed after a few minutes. He started to look through the phone and smiled.

In the contacts was two numbers, _hers_ and Ace's. He pressed the phone symbol next to Ace's name. It rang twice when he picked up.

"Boss?"

"Ace, meet me at the warehouse." He paused. "We need to catch up on some things." He hung up.

He looked at the phone, he decided to call his lawyer to make sure things were good there. The receptionist picked up.

"It's Mr. White." He said after her short greeting.

"One moment please." Then he heard awful elevator type music.

"Mr. White. Glad you called. Everything is in order. I got the park at a steal. The city was happy to get rid of it. The paperwork should be finished before the end of the week."

"Perfect. That's what I like to hear. I'll get ahold of you when I am ready to get the place up and running, hmm." he said. "Tootles." He added before hanging up the phone.

He loved cutting calls short. Had to keep people on their toes. He chuckled as he moved to the bathroom, pulling out his own grease paint from the drawer. After getting his face put on, moved to the car, time to get his to do list, _well_, done.

He drove fast, and free. He swerved and cut people off. The honking and rude gesture made him feel at home. The drive seemed to be over _too_ soon. He parked his car and moved into the warehouse. He trotted up to his office and started working. He had so much to do. He had gotten the map and blueprints of the park. They were spread across his desk at the moment.

He had made a few notes for changes he would like to make, though most of the original stuff would stay. He chewed the edge of his scar as he worked. When Ace arrived it was a needed distraction. He folded the blueprints to the side of the desk and smiled as the large man put a bag on his desk and a large soda next to it.

_This_ was why Ace had lasted so long with him. He was smart. Joker tore into the burger that waited for him and drank the sugary soda. Joker hate that he had a sweet tooth. He enjoyed the sweets a bit too much. He tried not to indulge _too_ often. He thought of the stolen candy in his pocket. He refused to become a fat, lazy statistic, he had a city to conquer. The burn from the carbonated beverage was heavenly.

With that business out of the way, Joker turned back to Ace. Joker looked at the man sitting across the desk from him. Joker liked Ace, he did his job, and took orders well. They had been in cahoots for years. Joker cracked his neck, the pop sending a relief of the pressure that formed there regularly.

"Well, Boss, what did we need to catch up on?" he asked.

Joker smiled. "I've had an idea, it came to me in a dream, and it was _bea-utiful_." He leaned back in the squeaky chair. "I have started the wheels in motion. But we all need to do our own parts." He looked at the man.

Ace nodded. Joker continued.

"We will need men. _Expendable_ men. Not saying they will die, but you know, anything's possible. Let's say thirty-ish?" he paused and leaned forward. "I have a _big_ welcome back party planned." He said in a loud whisper.

Ace chuckled. "Of course you do."

Joker put his elbows on the desk. He steepled his hands. The business like gesture looked ridiculous on the paint covered man.

"We both know I have been out of it for the last few years, I need to know what I missed." Joker's face had become serious.

Ace didn't make a sound.

"_Relax_, I just want the general idea, If I need details I'll ask."

Ace swallowed nervously and then spoke. "Where should I start?"

Joker thought about that for a second. "You made it back here, _after_. Start there."

Joker watched as Ace visibly relaxed. "I came back like you said. When It was time to do the meet up, you hadn't made it back. I met with the buyer. I put the guns away and the money in the safe."

Joker hadn't even checked the safe, this was why Ace was the best.

"Good, business _is_ business. Guns, wherever, and money in the safe, got it." Joker motioned for him to continue.

"Yea, minus my cut, it should all be there." Joker nodded his approval.

"A few of the guys came and went. After a few days the girl showed up. She was in a panic. The city was still a bit hectic and she didn't know what to do. She said you told her to go home and wait. She said she was tired of waiting and went on a rampage through the warehouse looking for you." Ace paused.

Joker was pleased to see she had listened. Ace continued. "She finally saw on the news you had been captured and taken to Arkham. She came by almost every day. I helped her as much as she would let me. Which wasn't much. She's very stubborn."

Joker laughed at that. It was one of her best features.

"Finally a few years ago, she actually asked for help. I was shocked, but called in all the favors I could to get her what she wanted. Just a few fake ID's and I helped her get her actual birth certificate." Ace watched Joker closely. Trying to read his mood.

"You did _good_, is that all?" he asked.

"I helped her get her GED and enroll in school. That was the last favor she asked for. She's been working the system all on her own now." He said looking almost proud.

Joker sneered. He didn't like that she was doing things. He didn't like the independent Peach. He felt his mood start to sour. Damn her. "What happened to the two tanks of the toxin I had in the workshop?" Joker asked abruptly.

Ace looked confused, "Last time I checked they were in there." He said.

"Well. They. Are. _Not_. There." he spat out each word like bits of poison.

Ace looked slightly ill. "Relax, relax, I'm not accusing _you_ of taking them." He reassured his guy.

Ace visibly relaxed, "Who do you think took it?"

Joker smiled, "Well, if it wasn't _me_," He pointed to his chest. "And it wasn't _you_." He pointed at Ace. "Who else has had access to the warehouse?" _hmm_?" he watched as the realization hit Ace like a brick.

"You think the girl took it?" he sounded shocked.

"Maybe." Joker laughed, "It's what _I_ would have done in her place." He said.

"What would she be doing with the Toxin?" Ace asked.

"Now _that_ is the question of the hour." Joker said standing.

Ace stood as well, "I'll go get started recruiting. It shouldn't take too long to find some guys. A lot of people are hard up for cash."

Joker waved the man away, "Do what you need to do."

Ace left the Joker alone in his office. He put away the blueprints and threw out his garbage. The next hour or so, he spent using his phone to find all kinds of info. The internet was a brilliant place. The human race was moronic, putting all of their info out there for whomever to find.

He was interrupted from his research but that obnoxious sound from his phone. He found the message from the girl. It infuriated him. It was a simple message. 'I will be out late.' Like he needed to know. He was _not_ her keeper anymore. _Obviously_. He moved to leave the warehouse.

The drive home only worsened his mood. He was basically alone on the stretch of highway. And most people in the narrows were already safely tucked into their shitty little houses and apartments. Joker parked his car and went back to his room. He put the phone on the bed and stripped out of his clothes. He quickly showered, scrubbing his face clean of the paint.

He had to lay low until the right time. A few sighting were fine, but he didn't need to _advertise_ yet. He needed to walk off the extra energy he felt moving through him. He dressed in plain jeans and a ratty t shirt. He pulled a black hoodie on and a beanie over his bright green hair. He grabbed his favorite knife and, unfortunately, the damned phone and hit the road.

He walked, no _real_ destination in mind. Just a walk through his favorite city. He noticed the traffic had picked up a bit, and more people walking the streets. He made it a point to bump into people and generally just agitate the crowd. He was sorely disappointed, everyone gave a grumbled 'excuse me' or just ignored him completely. He started to look at the flow of people. It took less than a minute to see the problem. They had all of their attention on the screens in their faces. Almost every person, attached to the phones they held. Some talked with headphones tethering them to the device. Some took pictures of themselves. There were even small children in strollers, eyes glued to the screens in front of them.

It was like a zombie apocalypse. This would _not_ do. Maybe he needed to cause a bit of anonymous trouble until his big surprise was ready. He wondered if his tech guy was still around. He'd ask Ace later. He moved to the side of a building and sat on the dirty pavement.

He watched the people, he was, of course, ignored by most. The upper class of Gothamites, walked by the homeless. Ignoring the poverty as if would make it go away. Joker chuckled at the sight. Ah, Humanity, the most _inhumane_ entity, stepping over the downtrodden to get a better view, a better job, a better car.

The smell of hypocrisy is what drove him to try to level the playing field. He killed and maimed without prejudice. Rich, poor, it didn't matter. He wanted to show them all, show them that they were all in the same cesspool of a _civilization_. All just as depraved as the _villains_ they all loved to hate.

He'd gotten himself all worked up again. The city, she just knows how to press his buttons. He stood up and started to walk again, letting his feet take him wherever. When he started to pay attention again, he was in a dirtier side of town. The buildings were dark and the neon signs were gaudy.

He laughed as a sign caught his eye. _'The Grin and Bare it.'_ Sounded _neat_. He walked his way over and pushed the door open. He was in a small room, a large guy sat by the other door. Joker could hear the muffled music through the other door. The large man spoke.

"Ten dollar cover and a two drink minimum." He said without looking up from his newspaper. Joker smiled. He paid the money and was buzzed through the door. Joker walked through the door and found a small unoccupied table. He looked around, not able to stop the small chuckles that bubbled up. The place was a girlie bar.

There were three stages with girls in different stages of undress. The dimly lit room was pretty full. The seats closest to the stage had men packed in like sardines. Joker watched as a tiny waitress in short shorts and a frilly bra type of top came up to his table.

"What can I get you to drink?" she asked.

"Two shots of whatever shitty tequila you have." He said.

The girl walked off to the bar and placed the order. Joker's gaze moved back to the crowd. He wasn't sure how so many men were trapped in whatever fantasy was playing in their heads. They paid to see tits. He could use his new phone to see tits for free. He found that out _accidentally_ when he was figuring out how to use it earlier.

The girl put the two shots on the table. Joker gave her a wadded up hundred dollar bill. "Don't bother me again and you can keep the change."

"Sure." She said grabbing the money and turning to leave him alone.

Joker drank the two shots quickly and sat back to check the place out. There were two cameras that he could see. A lot of muscle at the doors and near the backstage area. He tapped his fingers on the table, the rhythm not to the song playing overhead.

He watched the girl on the largest of the three stages. She swayed and gyrated to the music. Her eyes looked far from reality. The men waving their cash to trying to get her attention. Hey eyes only locked on the green-gray of the money. The larger the bill the closer you could get. Amazing what people do for money.

Joker absently chewed the inside of his cheek. The skin there raw from the attention. He frowned. The name of the place had pulled him in. The sound of it had such potential. It was just another den of depravity and weakness. He was moving to leave when a large man in black stepped up to him.

"You the Joker?" he asked.

Joker looked up at the man. Typical bouncer type. Joker smiled. "At your service." He said.

"The boss wants to talk to you." The man turned and walked away.

Joker guessed he was supposed to follow. He decided to go with it, _could_ end up being fun. He followed the man to the door he had noticed earlier. The man had waited at the door for him to catch up. Once he had, the man opened the door, letting Joker through.

He instantly kicked into high alert. The room seemed empty. He glance around as the door was shut behind him. It was a nice large office, a wall of monitors sat behind the desk. There were at least 15 cameras through the club. He stepped forward and was shocked by what was happening in a few of the rooms. Naughty, Naughty. He may have been out of the game for a while, but he was pretty sure _t__hat_ wasn't 'dancing'.

The door against the other wall opened, drawing his attention from the screens. For the first time in a while Joker was speechless.


	11. Chapter 11

**A/N: On we go to the next chapter.**

* * *

_~Doctor says don't fight that feeling_

_ But my head is stuck to the ceiling_

_ I can't get it off, you superglued it on_

_ It's like I'm a bad scene stuck in a wet dream_~

~YungBlud~

* * *

Joker watched as his girl walked into the room. "What are _you_ doing here?" he asked.

She smiled at him, "I own the place."

He watched her walk to the desk and sit in the very comfy looking chair. Maybe he needed a chair like that. He shook himself mentally to get back on track. He watched her with what must have looked like confusion on his face. She started to explain.

"I had planned on telling you. Technically, we own this place. I figured it was only fair since I used your money to buy it." She said.

His bark of laughter made her jump slightly in her chair. Once he calmed himself, he smiled at her. "Why would _we_ own a titty bar?" he asked.

She smiled at the vulgar name. "It's a gentleman's club. It was a sound investment." She said, the calm returning to her quickly.

She stood up, walking to the side of the desk. "Here sit, I will explain it." She said pointing to the chair.

Joker stood still, he _really_ wanted to sit in the chair. He was conflicted, she might think she had pull over him if he sat. She already takes too many liberties with him. The need to sit in the chair won. He plopped down ungracefully in the super soft chair. He would definitely get himself one of these.

He turned back to her and frowned at the large smile splitting her face. He gestured for her to talk, not trusting himself to speak at the moment.

"I used to work here, as a bartender. It was a shitty, hole in the wall bar." Joker narrowed his eyes at her profanity. She would _never_ learn. "You had a 50/50 chance of getting stabbed." She stopped. Looking at the ceiling.

"After a bit of time learning the ropes, I got Ace to get me a few IDs and used one, along with your name and we bought the place and remodeled and that's about it." She said.

Joker hadn't taken his eyes off of her. She fidgeted with her hands while he decided how to handle this. He took a deep breath and spoke.

"So, _I_ own a titty bar, with _you_. You stole from me to buy said _bar_, and forged my name on the paperwork." He watched as her face turned the prettiest shade of red. He let her stew in her worry for a minute. "You did _all_ of this, and the only help you had was Ace getting you a fake ID?" he asked.

She nodded. Her face void of any expression.

"Impressive." He said. She laughed in relief. "What? You thought I was going to be mad?" he asked, reluctantly getting up from the magnificently comfortable chair, to walk over to her, causing her laughter to stop. He smiled. She was smart.

"Honestly?" she paused, "I thought you'd kick the shit out of me."

He stood next to her, then without warning grabbed her face. His vicelike grip pushing hard enough into her cheeks that he could feel her teeth beneath the squishy flesh. She winced at the pressure.

"Peach, we've gone over this before. Ladies shouldn't say such ugly words." He squeezed again then pushed her face away roughly.

Her hand raised to rub her face, trying to ease the ache. "I am not a child anymore." She said.

His eyes cut to her, "I am _painfully_ aware. But manners _are_ manners." He said lightly.

She let loose the strangest scoffing noise. He watched her, he could see the emotions run across her face. She turned and walked to the desk. She sat on the edge of it, her back facing him. Joker was getting annoyed.

"I named it for you. I thought you'd find it funny." She said still not looking at him.

He laughed. "That's what caught my attention." He frowned after he said it. Was he _that_ predictable, or did she just know him well enough? _That_ idea would drive him crazy, either way.

She had turned and locked her two tone gaze on him. He could feel his pulse in his ears. The rhythm audible to him.

"I thought you were in school?" He said loud enough he drowned out the pulsing in his ears.

Her eyes narrowed at him and she crossed her arms. "How do you know about that?" she asked.

He thought about not answering. He licked his lips, making a popping noise before he spoke.

"I had to get my phone. Then I was bored, so I snooped." He said.

"I have nothing to hide." She said dismissing the entire thing. "I was bored and needed to do something. You left me with nothing to do. I had no real education. So I made some choices. I'm going to school for my own reasons." She stopped talking. She moved from the edge of the desk and walked up to him again.

"You weren't here. I had to do it all. I asked Ace for a bit of help and took charge from there. You told me I was a survivor, like you. You don't get to be mad at me for doing that. I survived." Her voice softened as she spoke. The last of it barely above a whisper.

Joker let her finish, "You aren't going to _cry_ about it, are you?" he asked, watching as her soft eyes hardened. "That's better, stop whining, I was just curious. I'm not sure I like this," he paused looking her up and down. "Crybaby, emotional _thing_ you have going on." He said, reaching up to flick her nose.

She smiled up at him and he felt sick. His stomach felt hot and queasy. His eyes were fixated on her mouth. His mind flashing back to his bout of temporary insanity. He had to have lost it for a second to kiss her like he had. He forced his eyes away.

"You make good money here?" he asked to change the subject.

"Yep." She said. "The house gets a small cut from the girls' tips and the bar. That alone wouldn't be enough to run the place. These are the money makers." She pointed at the monitors.

Joker moved to stand in front of the screens. His eyes flicked from screen to screen, taking in the very clear pictures. He looked back at the girl.

"We take a larger percentage from the 'Giggle Box' area." Joker made a strange noise at that name. The girl continued. "We record all activity. We delete the boring stuff, and we have a nice archive of some pretty important people doing naughty, dirty things." She said.

Joker could hear the pride in her voice, he turned to look at her. The sugar sweet smile was gone, replace with a much nicer smile. He liked this one so much better.

"You don't play fair." He said.

"I learned from the best." She said.

That horrible chirping from his phone sounded again. He growled as he pulled it from his pocket. Ace had sent him a text saying the first group of recruits would be in the ware house the next day. Good. He didn't reply. No need, Ace knew his job and did it well. He didn't need a pat on the head.

"Good news?" Peach asked.

"New guys coming in tomorrow, it's gonna be a busy day." He said turning to leave.

"Wait for me." It wasn't a question.

He froze, he would wait, but he refused to turn and look at her. She moved to his side, sliding her delicate arm around his. He felt his body go rigid. The thumping was back in his ears again. She just stood there, waiting for him to move.

He started walking. They left the club out of the service door, not the front. It took him a second to get his bearings, then he started walking.

"You walked here?" she asked.

"Yeah." He said, not slowing his pace.

"Of course you did." She said, keeping up.

She fell silent and Joker was better. At least he didn't have to listen to her babble the entire way back to the apartment. He walked, keeping his eyes forward, listening to the now mostly deserted streets. The trip home had been pleasant, he had calmed down his racing thoughts. He didn't even mind her small hand on his arm anymore.

He had no clue what time it was, and Peach was holding onto his arm with his watch. The streets were deserted so it had to be pretty late. The lack of traffic and relative silence soothed his mind. He was moving, the nervous energy that had been plaguing him lately was under control, allowing him to really think.

They were a few blocks from the apartment when the night got even better. They passed a narrow dead end street, hearing what sounded like a bottle hitting pavement. The sound was not out of the ordinary here, but was enough to pull him from his thoughts. He could hear the heavy breathing of someone to the left of them. He slowly move his hand into his pocket, wrapping it around his knife.

He couldn't help the smile that spread on his face. He waited, he could feel the potential violence in the air.

"Give me your money and I won't have to hurt you or your pretty girlfriend." A slurred voice said.

Joker felt her hand tighten on his arm, an encouraging squeeze maybe? Then she let go, turning to look at the large man standing to their left. Joker turned to look at the man and felt, _envy_? This fat disgusting man held a beautiful Bowie knife. The blade clean, with the serrated edge on the back side. Oh, he wanted that knife.

The man pulled back the Joker's attention when he shouted.

"You deaf? Huh?"

Joker looked at the man's face. This man was extremely intoxicated, the dark red flush of alcohol staining his cheeks and nose. This would be fun. Joker let go of the knife in his pocket and moved his hands up like he was surrendering. He could hear Peach making little whimpering sounds. Playing the victim perfectly, maybe _too_ well. The excitement from the knife he wanted and her noises mixed in his brain, sending blood rushing to his cock.

That was the _last_ thing he needed at the moment. He watched the man in front of him. The drunk took a step forward and Joker moved. One hand came up under the man's wrist, twisting his hand outward. The drunken man dropped the knife. Joker's other hand caught the beautiful blade.

Joker dropped the man's arm, causing him to stumble and fall. The groan escaped from the drunk man as he rolled onto his back, breathing heavily. Joker had eyes only for the knife in his hand. The weight of it was good, but he frowned as he inspected the blade.

It was extremely dull, _that_ just wouldn't do. He knelt down and clicked his tongue at the man. He put the blade up where the man could see and watched the fear fly across his face.

"What, _exactly_, were you going to do with this? Hmm?" Joker asked.

"Nothing man, it was a dumb joke. I didn't mean it, keep the knife just let me go." He begged.

Joker smiled. "A gift? For me?" he said. "Well, geez, I didn't get you anything." He said thoughtfully.

The man didn't move. Joker sat there for a minute then looked back at the man smiling. "I got it, Peach, do you want to give our friend here a _gift_?"

Joker stood and watched his girl. She smiled and started pulling her skirt up a bit. Joker was confused, he thought she would pick up on his game, not _flash_ the man. He smiled again when she pulled a small pistol from a thigh holster. His gaze locked on her raised skirt, the shine of the small .22, the flash of thigh, the look on her face. His mind was in a _frenzy_.

She raised the small gun and shot the man in the thigh. The drunk man screamed, then began to cry and whimper on the ground. She looked up at Joker. He looked away before their eyes met, he didn't _trust_ himself right now. He instead looked down at the crying man.

"What should we do with him now?" her soft voice asked.

Joker handed the dull Bowie knife to Peach and reached for his own sharp blade. "You're _lucky_ I like my gift, I will make this quick, as a _heartfelt_ thank you."

Joker squatted down, the man looked like he was going into shock. That was too easy. Smiling, Joker knelt on one knee. That knee just happened to be on the man's bleeding thigh. The drunk wailed in pain as Joker leaned forward to start on his masterpiece.

The man's eyes were large and full of tears. Joker leaned in close. "Now, I know I don't have my _face_ on." He gestured to his scars with the knife. "But you think a guy could get a little recognition around here." The man's wails started back up. "Boy, did you pick the wrong person." He chuckled.

Joker reached for the man's face. Holding him steady by the lower jaw. "Don't worry, I will make sure you remember."

The man started to struggle, trying to free his face from Joker's hand. His grip tightened, joker touched his blade to the man's cheek. "Hold still, you don't want my knife to slip, it could put out an eye." Joker laughed at the man. He pressed the very sharp blade into the flesh. It cut through like butter.

Joker pressed on, pushing through the other cheek. The man had stilled, eyes clamped shut. The sight was hilarious. Joker smiled, he gave the knife that was pushed through the man's face like a skewer, a small tug. The man instinctively bit down on the blade, his eyes now wide open and full of panic.

"Ah, Ah, that's only gonna make things worse." He chided. The man finally unclenched his jaw and tears flowed down his face. Joker gave a good tug, the knife slid through the rest of the muscle and tissue easily.

The man screamed, the cuts seemed to tear a bit further with the action. Joker stood and watched as the man slowly asphyxiated on his own blood. The deep red bubbled from his mouth splattering his neck and face. Joker watched until the very end.


	12. Chapter 12

**A/N:****Since I will be unable to upload Thursday, I decided to give you the chapter today! **** here it is , all kinds of mixed up feelings in and about this chapter. Love it? Hate it? let me know...:)**

* * *

_~Call me stupid, call me sad_

_ You're the best I've ever had_

_ You're the worst I've ever had_

_ And that keeps fucking with my head~_

_~YungBlud and Halsey~_

* * *

Joker cleaned his knife on the man's shirt. He stowed the knife away in his pocket and turned back to Peach, his hands flexing, working out the adrenaline that had been pumping through him. She was standing to the right of him, her eyes locked on the man's face.

He watched her, waiting for _any_ type of reaction. He wanted to see if that spark he'd seen before was still there.

"Ready princess?" he said.

She cut her eyes up to him, the flash of hate vanished when she focused on his face. She righted herself. He watched as she engaged the safety on her gun and slowly slid it back into her thigh holster. He'd never seen a more erotic sight in his life. He frowned heavily when she looked back up at him.

"Let's go." She said.

She reached for his hand, her soft skin felt good against his calloused fingers. Not that he'd tell _her_ that. He wrapped her small hand in his and he allowed her to pull him along. When the apartment building was in view he pulled his hand from hers. He hurried inside to his place and got a bottled water, not caring if she followed. He drank the cold liquid as quick as he could.

His head cleared slightly, he tossed the bottle into the trash bin and moved into his tidy room. He stood there, clearing his mind as best he could. Her voice, once again, pulled him from his reveries.

"Are you mad at me?" She asked, her voice sounding small and hurt.

His shoulder slumped, He didn't turn to look at her. This was _not _how he envisioned his night.

"Why does it _matter_ so much to you?" He asked, partly to sate his curiosity, partly to try to piss her off.

He listened as she stepped closer to his back still refusing to look at her. He wasn't 100% sure she'd answer.

"I think you know why." She said.

Her words set him on fire, he felt something in him snap. He spun around, his hand moved straight to her delicate neck. He squeezed hard enough to shut her up, without doing too much damage. Her eyes were locked on him. He watched as her face started to turn red and her eyes watered.

He moved his face close to hers. Their noses touching. "Enlighten me _dear_, what _exactly_ do you think I know?" He loosened his grip slightly, noticing she wasn't fighting him.

He let her suck in a small breath, her eyes still shiny with tears, but she didn't let them fall. Was she crazy? Or did she think he wouldn't hurt her. Had he been _too_ lenient on her before? Too soft on her because she had amused him. Maybe he'd have to _show_ her. Just because he didn't _want_ to hurt her, doesn't mean he _wouldn't_.

She still hadn't answered him.

"_What_? No smart mouth remarks? Where did all that _bravado_ go? All talk are we?" He goaded her.

Still no reaction. He frowned. He locked eyes with her, his face still touching hers. He could feel her small breaths brush across his face. He let go of her. It wasn't fun if she just took it. He was _disappointed_, where had her fight gone? He looked away in disgust, wanting her to just leave. He put his hand on her face, pushing her back roughly.

She stumbled back, barely keeping her balance. He pushed past her and moved to get another bottle of water. He finished that bottle and turned to find her gone. Good. He moved back to his room and started to get ready for bed. He kicked off his shoes, and started to pull his hoodie over his head.

He pulled free of the hoodie just as he felt the blow to his gut. He doubled over, losing the water he had just finished drinking. He spit the water and bit of stomach acid out of his mouth. He used the hoodie to wipe his mouth dry.

There she was, his girl in all of her glory. She stood there, chest heaving, holding her bat. His smile pulled the scars on his face tight. He stood back up straight, eyes locked on hers. "You _always_ take the cheap shots." He said, his hand on his abdomen, it was tender. There would be a bruise by morning, he had no doubt.

She shrugged, "You taught me well."

"Flattery will get you nowhere."

She laughed. "Do your worst, old man."

It was his turn to laugh, "Old?" He laughed again. His mind starting to wonder, with all that time in Arkham, he was exactly sure how old he was. His memory was spotty. He didn't feel old most days. Some days he felt ancient. He was almost lost in his thoughts. She moved, pulling him back to the present situation.

He took a step forward, she stood her ground and raised her bat. He moved again, she stepped forward and swung the bat. He reached forward and caught it mid swing, hurting his hand as he jerked it from her grip. She let out a small squeak, the sound exciting him.

Joker closed his eyes, tossing the bat through the doorway.

"Hey, that's mine."

With his eyes still closed he spoke to her. "_Peach_, what are you trying to do? Why are you provoking me?"

He heard her sigh, "I don't mean to." Her voice soft and childlike again.

"Liar, liar, pants on fire." He said, causing her to laugh.

He felt himself calming down, he opened his eyes. She was watching him.

"Why do you keep pushing me away?" she asked

He groaned, "_What_ are you talking about?" He was fighting the urge to flee. What was it the doctors had called it? Fight or flight. His brain was screaming flight, his body wanting to fight. He felt so very _human_ at the moment.

He was pulled from his mind again by her hands on his face. He wasn't sure when she had moved. He flinched back from her touch but she moved with him.

Her soft hand touched his face, grabbing him. He reached her wrist and jerked free from her grasp. She pulled free from his hands and pounced on him. He caught her out of instinct and froze when her mouth was on his. Her arms were around his neck and locked her legs around his waist.

He felt her soft mouth move on his, her eyes were closed as she kissed him. He felt electric currents moving through his stomach. His hands had caught her around the waist. He tried to push her off of him, but she was deceptively strong. Or at least her thighs were.

She hadn't stopped the strange kisses. He was feeling odd, conflicted feelings. Her body was soft and strong against his. It felt….._nice_. His fingers dug into her sides harshly. Causing her eyes to fly open locking on his. His grip didn't let up and she gasped against his mouth.

He was _weak_, he hated her the moment he started to kiss her back. He hated her as he enjoyed her whimpering into the kiss as he continued to squeeze her sides. His tongue explored her hot mouth, fighting his for dominance. She wanted to push her wiles onto him, she would have to take the pain that came with it.

The kiss was rough and angry. She made small noises pushing his rational thought out of the way. He was starting to enjoy her touches and kissing her. He was starting to forget why this was such a bad idea.

Her fingers moved to his hair and tugged his head back. She pulled hard, Joker hissed, enjoying the burning pain of his scalp. His grip lightened on her sides, moving to grip her thighs, squeezing the warm flesh there. Her skirt having ridden up when she launched at him. His fingers skimmed the edge of the skirt, enjoying the warm flesh when she ruined the moment.

Her hot wet tongue had started to trace the scar along his left cheek. His body went rigid. She knew she had crossed a line. He let go of her as if she was on fire. She slid from his body, taking a small step back.

He stood there in front of her, his body trembling. It was all very confusing. His head said hurt her. These were the liberties she took, he hated it. He felt as if he should punish her for having the audacity to touch him like that.

His body told him to push her against the wall and fuck her. That small touch on his scar felt nice. No, it felt really fucking good. He watched her turn and leave, grabbing her bat from the other room. Now he stood alone in his apartment, confused and as horny as a teenage boy.

He moved to turn off the lights. He finished undressing down to his boxers, his body feeling feverish. He laid on the bed and tried to forget the last hour. He failed. He had been laying in the dark, staring at the all too familiar ceiling. He heard the door open and close. He didn't move, waiting to see if she was coming back to murder him in his sleep.

He watched the dark figure move into the room. The soft sounds of her steps made him smile. He felt the bed dip next to him, as she moved under the covers. She didn't touch him, she just laid there. She turned her back to him to lay on her side. He turned his head to the side, he could see her hair pulled back in a braid. He watched her small shoulders, the dip of her waist, and the curve of her hip.

He didn't mind her sleeping in his bed. He could hear her light snores. The sound dainty and ridiculous, grating on his nerves. He turned to his side, reaching over her body to pinch her nose. The snoring stopped, as she started to breathe through her mouth.

He started to turn back, but stopped. He slid the arm he had over her down to her small waist. He pulled her small body close to his, gripping her to his body. Her steady breathes lulling him to sleep.

She was gone when he woke up, he could still smell her coconut shampoo on his pillows. He got up to relieve his bladder. He winced as he saw the bruise that spread across his stomach. He laughed at the memory of her hitting him with that bat. Crazy bitch.

He moved to get dressed. Something in the air told him today would be very productive. He was dressed and ready when Ace texted him. It was a simple message. "Warehouse noon"

Glancing at his watch, Joker knew he had plenty of time. He grabbed a package of pop tarts and headed to the bathroom. He ate the sugary snack while he put his face on. Once it looked right, he left to meet the new guys.

Joker drove in his usual manor. He was feeling giddy. Ace had a system to bring around newbies. First they met up at a neutral location. They would all be piled into a van and packed in closely. They would put bags over their heads while Ace would drive them around for a bit. Then he would get them to the warehouse. Joker giggled at the thought.

Joker pulled up to the warehouse and saw the vans there. He looked at his watch. It was a quarter after twelve. He got out of the car with a skip in his step. He made his way to the doors and inside the large building. The main floor had at least a dozen men milling around.

He moved to the stairway and made his way up the steps. By the time he had reached the top, he had all of their attentions.

"Welcome, I am sure you all know who I am. I am looking to hire some men. It's dangerous, but the pay is _phenomenal_." He paused looking at them. "Any questions?"

No one spoke, good, he'd hate to have to kill someone the first day.

"Good, make yourselves at home boys, the _work_ starts in a few days."

He turned and walked into his office. He got out the cell phone and dialed his lawyer's number. He picked up directly, no annoying receptionist.

"Mr. White I am glad you called, the place is yours. I have the permits done too. You can do whatever you want now." He said.

"_That's_ why I pay you the big bucks."

"Yes sir, you can come by whenever you have time and pick up all the paperwork you will need for any contractors."

"That's what I like to hear. I will be by tomorrow." Joker hung up the phone.

He moved to his desk and pulled out the papers he had on _his_ park. He'd have Ace hire the workers to start immediately. They could get everything up and running, and his stage would be set.

He had that pleasant feeling flowing all around him again.


	13. Chapter 13

**A/N: ****well...um...enjoy?! :) **

* * *

_~Is it sick of me, to feed the animal in you?_

_Is it sick to say, I tease the hunter like I do?_

_Is it sick of me, to watch the wicked way you thrill?_

_Is it sick to say, I live to break your will?_

_Are you sick like me?~_

_~In this moment~ _

* * *

Joker was pleased with the progress he was making. The park would be ready sometime in the next three weeks. He had people working around the clock to get it up and running. The mechanical parts were all working _beautifully_. He had people doing the more cosmetic parts of the place. He had been overseeing most of it personally, without his _war paint_, he, unfortunately, blended right in. He left Ace in charge today as he had _other _things to deal with.

Currently , he was on his way to meet with his old tech guy, Cliff. Lucky for Joker, Ace had kept up with him and setup the meeting. He drove through the uptown traffic with little care. The useless, unthinking majority of society moving place to place. He found the high-rise apartment building easy enough, pulling into the underground garage. Ace said the kid had a private elevator. Joker parked close to it.

He punched in the code to open the elevator and stepped inside. The elevator was large and the side panel had only _one_ button. He pressed it, watching the doors slide closed and he started to move. He wasn't claustrophobic, but being inside the box made him feel antsy. The elevator door opened to a large entryway.

He stepped into the room and looked around. This place was very lofty, _super _fancy. The last time he'd been in a place like this, he'd fought with the bat and thrown a lady out of the window. He smiled at the memory. He stepped closer to the wall of windows and looked out over the city. Gotham looked _different_ from way up here. Almost pretty. You couldn't see all of the _rot_ from so high up.

"Mr. Joker, good to see you again." The man walked up to him. "Ace said you had a possible job for me?"

"Just _Joker_ is fine. Straight to business I see." Joker looked back out of the windows. "You did well for yourself." He said gesturing around the room.

"I need you to help me do a small _side_ job. I was walking around the other day and had an _epiphany_. The people of this city have lost touch with reality. They record all of their lives and put it out for the _world_ to see. But they only show the world the good stuff. I want to show the world _all_ of it. I want to take everyone's _personal_ information, and make it public knowledge. All of their deep dark secrets. I just want to get people _out_ of the cyber world and back to reality." Joker explained.

Cliff nodded in understanding. "Let me show you something." He said moving to a smaller room.

Cliff reached under a shelf edge and the entire wall opened. Behind the wall was a large dimly lit room. Joker followed the man inside and the door closed behind him with a soft click. Joker loved hidden rooms. It made him wonder if all fancy apartments came with tiny saferooms like this one. Lights along the ceiling lit up showing the computers and monitors lining the wall, drawing his attention back to the present.

Joker noticed the room was cold. The goosebumps covered his skin, pleasantly. He moved further into the room as Cliff started up the different computers. Joker waited until Cliff,_ uh he hated that name_, called him over.

"This is my setup. I have everything I need to create." He pointed to the first set. "To infiltrate." He pointed to the second set. "Or completely corrupt most systems." He pointed to the last computer.

Joker smiled, this was promising. He liked the potential he saw. "I'd like to start small, then work up to bigger fish. I happen to be in possession of some unflattering videos that could be distributed."

The man laughed and sat at the computer. He began to type. Joker laughed at the speed the man moved.

He watched with excitement when the man stood suddenly. "Give me 48 hours to get a program made up. Then we could have them out there in no time. You won't be disappointed."

Joker stood there, looking at the kid. He tapped his fingers on the side of his legs. Finally, Joker broke into a huge smile.

"That's what I like to hear. I will be back in 48 hours." Joker left the small room, then the large apartment.

On the elevator ride down he felt good, but tired. He rubbed his face, he tried to think about how long it had been since he slept. He'd had a couple of small naps in his office, but he hadn't slept in a few days. He drove back to his place, barely remembering the ride. He showered and put on a shirt and boxers. He moved to sit on the bed. He leaned over and pulled open the drawer on his nightstand.

He pulled out the small box and spent the next few minutes rolling a joint. It was one of the few things he could use to get to sleep when he was this far gone into his manic state. He put the box away and lit the joint. He took a long draw, pulling the smoke deep into his lungs. It was hot in his chest. It had been a while since he'd had to resort to this, the single hit already making his mind a bit clearer. More relaxed.

"You still get high?" Her voice was soft, the sound grated on his nerves.

"It doesn't get me _high_, it shuts my head up so I can sleep." He took another hit.

He turned to look at her. She walked over to him and took the joint from his hands. She took a long draw from it, holding the smoke deep in her chest. Joker watched as the paper touched her lips. He hated her, he wanted to hurt her. He groaned aloud.

She handed the joint back to him and laid down at the foot of the bed. He pulled the last few hits of the joint. He discarded the remains, tossing them in the small ashtray on the nightstand. He watched her, as she laid on the edge of the bed, her legs over one side. She had one arm up and across her eyes.

She was a complex person. She was tough. Joker had no doubt she could handle herself. Hell, she'd attacked _him_ with no issues. She was too trusting of him. He had the oddest thoughts. Sometimes he wanted to touch her. He wanted to make her squirm and whimper those pretty little sounds she makes.

Other times he wanted to squeeze her neck until the life disappeared from her eyes. Watch that spark snuff out. He wanted to destroy her creamy skin. Scar her pretty face up like his. He wanted to _mutilate_ her bright look on life. Make her as bitter as himself.

Joker watched the edge of her shirt lift, showing her soft tan flesh. He watched her chest rise and fall as she lay there. He moved forward on impulse, scooting closer to the end of the bed. She didn't move, her breathing steady. He lifted his hand, his fingers lightly touching the line where her shirt touched her stomach.

Her breath hitched, but she did not move. Joker smiled, she was way too trusting. He spread his fingers, his hand touching the flesh. It was velvety against his rougher hands. The joint had let his mind relax. Joker let his body move on autopilot. Joker lightly ran his, too long, nails over her skin, watching the pink lines show. His mind started to flash images of drawing a knife along the flesh made him shudder.

Joker trailed his hand down slowly, his fingertips brushing along the waist of her pajama shorts. He let his fingers slide under the band, he watched as her breathing began to get heavier. He held back that impulse again, the bad one, the one to draw blood. She shivered under his touches.

He felt her suck in a breath and hold it high in her chest. Her body completely still. Joker pressed lower, his calloused fingers brushed along the wet heat between her thighs.

A whimper left her mouth, Joker moved his other hand up to cover her mouth. He didn't need the sounds pushing his control any more that it was being pushed. He needed her to be silent, or he wouldn't be able to control the little _urges_ to hurt her.

"Shh, shh, shh." He told her as he moved his fingers, starting to rub her clit. She was lying there. Back arched as he continued to touch her.

Joker liked this, he liked _her_ like this. She looked helpless, and as he touched her, her skin was flushing pink. He pressed forward. He pushed a single finger into her yielding flesh. Her muffled moan was beautiful. He felt the vibrations of it in his hand, causing blood to rush to his cock.

She moved her arm, allowing it to fall above her head onto the mattress above her, her eyes locking on his. Joker added another finger. The look of fire urging him to push her tiny body further. He rubbed and touched her, watching the flush move over her flesh. She arched her back and he stopped moving his hands.

"Be a good girl, hold still." He scolded her.

Her eyes narrowed on him, but she stopped moving. Joker started again, he was fascinated by her. His mind was screaming at him. He _shouldn't_ be doing this. But he couldn't stop. He pumped his fingers in and out of her heated body, his thumb rubbing her clit. She was making all kinds of delectable sounds under his hand. He watched her flushed face, her eyes were shut again and her body vibrated with the effort to be still.

He was not _really_ thinking too hard anymore. Acting on pure impulse, Joker removed his hand from her mouth and pressed his mouth over hers. His mouth was demanding as he kissed her, hard. He felt her core clamp down on his fingers as she moaned her release into his mouth. Her body trembled as she came down from her high. Joker bit her bottom lip hard before releasing it.

He moved away from her, watching her heavy breathing, he felt the confusion again. The conflicting feelings causing him to act impulsively. He moved his foot to her hip, without a second thought, pushed hard knocking her off the end of the bed. He heard her body hit the floor and her muffled swearing. He chuckled and laid down to sleep.

A few minutes had passed, Joker realized she was still lying on the floor. _That_ wouldn't do.

"Turn the lights off and come to bed Peach." He said.

He could hear her as she moved from the floor, turning the light off and climbed into her side of the bed. Joker laid there waiting to see if she'd try to touch him. She didn't. Joker smiled and decided to reward her. He reached forward and pulled her body up next to his. He tucked her warn little body against his, burying his face in her coconut scented hair and _finally_ fell asleep.

He woke alone, and readied for the day. He felt the same. He had been worried that the nights activities had changed something. He smiled, he _felt_ the same. That was surprising. Joker grabbed a bowl of cereal and ate quick, he had work to do. Once finished, he got dressed and ready. Joker headed out to the warehouse. He was getting that good feeling again. Things were looking up. He got to his office and started working on the _side_ job.

He'd gotten as far as he could with what he had. He needed to talk to Peach and get the dirt to put out in the open. He pulled the phone from his pocket. He pulled up her contact and pressed the call button. The phone had barely rang when she answered.

"Yes?"

"I need some files from the titty bar." he said.

"Gentleman's club." she corrected.

He inhaled and released the breath slowly. "_Fine_, I need some files from the _gentleman's _club." he paused. "That just sounds ridiculous."

She laughed. "Stop by around 3:00. I'll meet you there and I'll get you what you need."

He ended the call and looked at the time. He had an hour.

He got up and put away the items he had on the desk and frowned when he looked at the chair he had. He needed to get one like the one at the bar. It was much nicer than the one he had just vacated. If he remembered correctly, and he might _not_, he had found it dumped out behind the warehouse and had Ace 'fix' it. He grabbed the cell phone again and shot a text message to Ace.

"Get me a new office chair. A nice one."

Joker sent the message and headed down to his car. The drive to the bar took about 20 minutes. Joker parked around back and made his way in the employee door. He couldn't very well waltz in the front at 3:00 in the afternoon, in full Joker make up. He chuckled at the thought and waited for the door to be answered. Finally a big man pushed open the door. His face was in a panic as he looked at the Joker. He moved aside and Joker strolled in and up to the door to the office.

He was surprised that he beat her here. The office was dark and empty. He hurried over to the desk to sit in his favorite chair. He leaned back and waited patiently. He spun a few times in the chair and enjoyed the head change. Her small cough to clear her throat made him put his feet down and stop the spinning.

"Peach, there's my favorite girl." he said smiling.

She walked over to the light switch and flicked in on. The look on her face made him chuckle.

"What's got you in such a good mood?" she asked clearly suspicious of him.

"Things are coming along nicely, that's all. Now, let's get down to business, I need some special files." he said pointing to the monitors behind him.

"What are you looking for?" She asked walking over and opening her laptop. She leaned over the desk and started to type.

Joker watched her face, so full of concentration. She finally turned her face to look at him. He was startled. Both of her eyes were brown. He slid the chair back and frowned.

"What happened to your eyes?" he asked.

"Don't panic, it just a colored contact to make them match. It usually brings up a lot of questions I don't like to answer." she explained.

He grunted in response. She laughed and started to pull up files. She reached in the drawer and pulled out a small flash drive.

"Any names in particular you are looking for?" she asked.

He rolled the chair back and pushed her aside. He looked at the names and smiled. These were a lot of really nice names.

"Pick as many that will fit on the flash drive, I will use them all eventually." He told her.

She started transferring the files and turned to him.

"This is gonna hurt the business a bit, you realize that, right?" he didn't answer. She sighed and spoke again. "I'm going to be gone soon. Just for a week or so." she said.

Joker watched her face, looking for a hint to what she wanted. "_Okay_." was all he said.

Her eyes narrowed and lips thinned in a frown. She looked to the computer screen and pulled the flash drive. She slapped it into his hand and shut the laptop. Joker laughed. She had wanted him to react. He watched as she turned the light switch off and opened the door.

"Have _fun_ Peach."

The words made her freeze. She stood there for a second, then softly closed the door behind her. Joker smiled and got up to go. The flash drive safely into his pocket. He was almost ready to announce his come back.


	14. Chapter 14

**A/N: this is a bit of a filler chapter, I hate them, but they are necessary to move the story along...on another note love the story? Hate it? let me know. If you don't want to leave a public review, feel free to pm me. **

* * *

_~I'm not sure of what I should do,_

_When every thought,_

_ I'm thinking of is you,_

_All of my excuses turn to lies,_

_Maybe God will cover up his eyes~_

_~Nine Inch Nails~_

* * *

Joker woke the next day, surprised he was able to sleep at all. He looked at the watch on his wrist. It read 4:26. He looked at the boarded window and saw light. Must be evening. He groaned as he pulled himself from the bed. He relieved his bladder and moved back into his room.

He listened for any sounds coming from the building. It was silent. Peach must have left already. He frowned at the thought, caught himself frowning, and then frowned harder at the realization she was messing with his head. He moved into the small kitchen and looked in the cabinets.

He was out of cereal, and pop tarts. He didn't eat _much_, but when he did there were usually snack goodies in the place. He needed to have Ace bring food by. He moved to the fridge and opened it. A sick feeling hit his gut like a punch. There were storage bowls of food and cans of soda.

He pulled one of the containers out and saw big girly word written with purple sharpie, _Meatloaf_. He opened the small container and saw it, meatloaf and mashed potatoes. She made him food? He grabbed a can of soda and moved to put the food in the small microwave. He opened the can and drank the super sweet liquid while he waited. The burn of carbonation felt familiar. He tossed the empty can towards the almost full trash bin.

The small ding of the microwave pulled his attention back. He removed the container and grabbed a fork he assumed was clean. He grabbed another soda from the fridge and sat at the wobbly table he had in his kitchen. He got a small bit of everything on the fork and took the bite. He was pleasantly surprised, the food was good. He finished the small container quickly, chugging the second soda. He tossed the items in the sink and walked away. He was full now, he moved to get ready. He had _important_ things to do today.

Every time he put on his face paint was special. With each pass of his hands, he felt like he was shedding the mask of humanity and donning his _true_ face. The green of his hair was slightly faded. No longer the neon green it had been. It was now a grass green color. He didn't mind. He wouldn't wear his purple suit yet. He was saving _that_ for his debut. Today, he was dressed in his _civilian_ clothes. He grabbed the flash drive and a few knives, tucking it all into his pockets.

He got in his car and started the long drive to the better part of Gotham. To the nice penthouses and high-rise apartments. As he watched the traffic thin out and the buildings grow taller, he wondered if he should blow one of them up, just for a bit of fun. He pulled into the underground garage of Cliff's building and made his way to the private elevator. He punched in the code and stepped into the box. The ride up still seemed to take forever, leaving Joker to stare at his slightly warped reflection on the door. He noticed he was looking better than he did when he first got out of his most recent stint at Arkham.

The elevator made a soft ding, and the doors parted, ripping his reflection in half. Joker stepped into the large room and saw Cliff was waiting for him. The man stood from the small couch and walked over.

"Let's get to it." The man said heading to the small room.

Joker followed, watching him open the door to the cold room ahead. They stepped in and Cliff closed the door behind Joker. He watched the other man move around starting up computers and grabbing different things. Finally he slid into the chair in front of the computer.

Joker walked over and watched the man type on the computer again. He stopped finally and turned to look at the Joker.

"Here's what I have for you. I think you will like the simplicity of it."

Joker leaned over and looked at the screen, it looked like an email. He frowned turning to look at the other man. If Cliff was uncomfortable, he didn't show it. He was smiling like an idiot. Joker stood and leaned against the edge of the long table.

"Explain to me how _that_." He pointed at the screen. "Will get me what I want."

"Easy, it is a generic email. There is nothing spectacular on the surface. It will not have any of the phrases that most spam controls look for, just a few sentences and it will have a link to click." Cliff turned and clicked on a few things. "The link will take them to a video or photo that has a small virus attached."

His eyes were excited. The feeling was _almost_ contagious. Joker was getting the idea and smiled gesturing for him to continue.

"The virus will infect their computer or device, its job will be to pull deleted photos, documents, hidden items, doesn't matter what, and post them to the sight I have set up online. The sight will post all offending items for anyone to access. They will have all the things they are trying to hide posted there for everyone to see."

Joker was _very_ happy, he couldn't wait to see the horde of zombies looking at all of their personal business become _not_ so personal.

"All I need now is a few bait items to post to draw in the crown." He said looking back at Joker.

Joker reached into his pocket and pulled out the small flash drive and handed it to cliff. "There are plenty to choose from. Pick whichever you think will pull the most people." He said.

Cliff had it already loaded, looking at the thumbnails in the file folder. Joker watched the man as he laughed and copied a few onto his computer.

"I don't know how you got any of these, but they are perfect." He said, not even looking at Joker. The man was typing and pulling up all kinds of windows on the computer.

Joker watched the man work. He watched the dedication he had while pulling this together. It was _impressive_. Too quick for Joker to understand, the man finished. He showed Joker how the email would look. Then he pulled up and showed him how the text messages would look.

"You have gone above and beyond my friend." Joker said slapping the man on the back.

"Thanks, it's what I do. When did you want the program launched?" he asked.

"That depends, how fast will all of this spread?" Joker needed it to work up to the opening of the park.

"If we launched today? People would probably start to notice by the end of the week. It would be full force by next week." He said.

"Perfect, launch at midnight. I will be back at the end of the week to _check_ on our progress." Joker turned to leave, his mind racing with the possibilities of this.

Cliff stood, walking Joker to the door. He handed him the flash drive. Joker grabbed it and put it back into his pocket. He was out of the small door when the other man's voice stopped him.

"Don't click on any suspicious links."

Joker looked at the man standing in the doorway. He broke into hysterical laughter. The kid had a sense of humor. Oh he liked him more and more each time they hung out.

"I like you kiddo." Joker said as he turn the small corner to go to the elevator.

Joker was feeling on top of the world. He felt invincible, he couldn't wait to tell Peach about this. His mood soured as the thought hit him. She wasn't _home_, she left him, _alone_. He headed to the warehouse. It was closer and at least it didn't smell like _her_.

He parked the car and moved inside the building. He went straight to his office and locked the door behind him. He stepped towards his desk and froze. Ace had gotten him his new chair. It looked nicer than the one the girl had in _her_ office. He moved quickly to the desk and pulled the chair out.

The chair looked magnificent. He set down on the firm seat. The chair _was_ better than Peach's chair. This one hugged his body. Oh the work he could get done in _this_ chair. He gave the chair a few turns, spinning himself. Ace was good.

Speaking of Ace, Joker stopped his spinning and texted the man.

'Don't click on any links you come across, any questions ask Cliff. Whatever the man asks for in payment, double it.'

He moved to set the phone down, he stopped and sent Peach a quick text message as well.

'Don't click any suspicious links.'

He sent the message and frowned when the phone rang.

"Yea?" he answered.

"Boss?"

"Ace, what is it?" he asked

"The kid charges a lot, you sure you want to double it?"

Joker chuckled, "Yep"

"Okay."

"Ace?"

"Yea boss?"

"Peach said she was going out of town, you know anything about that?" he asked.

"No, she doesn't talk to me much anymore."

"hmm." He said, then hung up the phone.

Joker set the phone on the desk and did a few more spins in the chair. He wondered if he should be worried. Then mentally slapped himself. She was a big girl, he had taught her well, she could handle herself. Joker pushed the thoughts of _her_ out of his mind, was excited. He couldn't wait until the people started to turn against their own technology. He looked at his watch, he must have been spinning for a while, it was already close to midnight. He leaned back in his chair, propping his feet on the desk.

Joker woke himself up the next morning snoring. He sat up, looking around confused for a second. He grabbed the arm of the chair and smiled. He remembered now, He'd fallen asleep in his comfy new chair. He rubbed his face and smiled at the flakes of the dried greasepaint that littered his hands.

He got up and emptied his bladder and moved back into his office. He hadn't gotten any work done last night. He had gotten distracted by the spinning. Whoops. He moved to the desk and grabbed the papers that sat on the top.

He had Ace hire an advert company to get the news out about the opening of the _New and Improved Amusement Mile. _The fliers were out and people were already trying to get advanced tickets. Joker slapped the paper back onto the desk and looked for his phone. He had a couple of missed messages.

He read the first, a confirmation from Cliff that he had launched at midnight. Then a message from Ace saying he would be by around noon. Nothing from the girl. He growled to himself. Why did he even care?

His phone chimed again. A message from Cliff, it said simple 'It's started'.

Joker moved quickly from his office to the common area down stairs, and to the large television. If anyone of his men had stayed here last night, they were still asleep in the bunks. Joker grabbed the remote and switch the television on. He moved through the stations until he found what he was looking for.

A high level judge had a video leak of him doing illegal things with one of Peach's girls. They had a single still shot from the video. The woman was still talking.

"_No one knows who is running the site. Our own investigative reporting team has attempted to contact the admin on the webpage that is hosting the video, the company has yet to contact us. The page boasts they will post more videos of other highly influential people in Gotham. The video with Judge Packard has gotten just over 500,000 views since it was launched at midnight. Judge Pickard has declined to comment at this time."_

The woman prattled on about other news. Joker looked at his watch it was 9:00 AM, in 9 hours, half a million views. Half a million views meant a lot of people's devices infected. What a way to start the day. He was happy this was going well. He stood from the couch, turning the television back off. He wanted to celebrate, he wanted to tell Peach. She wasn't there, she had left him. He felt the small bubble of anger threatening his happiness.

A few of his men started to mill around the large room, probably too scared to get close to him. _Good_. He went back to his office to put his things away. Once the desk was cleared, he looked at his phone. He noticed _she_ hadn't texted him back. He hated himself for the way that bothered him.

He would admit, if only to himself, that he _may_ have grown fond of her. He didn't like that she had secrets. No, he _hated_ that she had secrets. He shoved his phone into his pocket, when he really wanted to smash the damn thing into small pieces.

He needed a distraction. He didn't _miss_ her, she _would_ be back. He was just bored. He hated the waiting part of all of this. He had a brilliant idea, it struck him like a bolt of lightening. He left the office and moved swiftly through the warehouse, and out of the front door. Maybe she was bored too. Maybe they needed something to ease their boredom, _together_.


	15. Chapter 15

**A/N: … just read it...**

* * *

_~In the brightest hour, __of my darkest day, _

_I realized, __what is wrong with me,_

_can't get over you, can't get through to you,_

_It's been a helter-skelter romance from the start~_

_~Papa Roach~_

* * *

Joker found himself walking the now darker streets of the narrows. The way he sees it, he's just gotten used to someone being near him. The girl had unfortunately wormed her wild hair and curvy body into his life. If he was subconsciously looking for companionship, he'd get a dog. He was sure it would take care of the stupid want he had for _her_.

So he had been walking the darkened alleys for a nice mutt to adopt. He couldn't have a puppy, they needed too much attention. He wanted a vicious dog, one not afraid to _bite_ if it felt threatened. One he could teach to attack on command. Oh he liked the sound of _that_. For the short time he had the Chechen's dogs, he had enjoyed it.

Now he was getting _excited_. Why hadn't he thought of this earlier? It was _her_ fault, she was so damned distracting. He heard the growling and scuffling before he came up on the alley. BINGO! He turned and looked into the dark passage. There at the end of the alley fighting over some morsel of trash were two _ugly_ mean looking dogs.

Perfect. Joker walked silently towards the growling mass of dirt and grime. He was within 3 feet of the dogs before they noticed him. Both dogs turned to face him, teeth bared and the growls from deep inside. Joker leaned forward slightly, arms lowered and hands open. He slowly lifted both hands, palms towards the still growling animals.

The fur on their backs was raised, but the teeth weren't snapping _yet_. Joker took that as a good sign and reached into his pocket. He had grabbed a bit of the chicken from another bowl in his fridge before he headed out. He unwrapped the meat.

The growls had stopped almost instantly, turning to curious whimpers, though they didn't move any closer. The dogs had started to salivate, the thick lines of it falling from their mouths. Joker squatted down to their level. The dogs were watching him with calm eyes, unmoving from the other ones side.

Joker pulled the chicken in half, one piece in each hand. He held his hands out and waited. He knew they'd have to come to him. They had to trust him on their _own_ time. Joker put the two pieces down in front of himself and wiped his hands off on his pants.

"Come on poochie, Uncle J won't hurt you." he said to the dogs. One cocked its head to the side, almost like he understood Joker's words. He waited, enjoying the internal struggle the mutts were having. They didn't _want_ to be anywhere near him, but they _really_ wanted that chicken.

Finally, one of the dogs moved forward and tried for the chicken, as he ate, the other rushed forward ad started on his own piece. Joker watched them devour the food, instantly started sniffing for more. Once they realized the food was gone, they looked up at Joker. He put his hand out, watching them sniff and start to lick his hands. Good, they would be perfect.

He walked back to his apartment, the dogs walking behind him. They kept their distance, but followed along. Joker got into the fence and waited. They finally pushed into the fenced area and Joker closed it behind him. They dogs sniffed around, marked a few spots. Joker moved to the door and went in, leaving it cracked.

He moved to the other apartment on the first floor. He had shoved all of the extra mess he didn't need in here. He looked around and found a metal pot and filled it with water. There, they had eaten, had water, and could sleep here. He felt one of the dogs brush against him. He looked down and watched as the mutts started to drink and sniff around. He turned and closed the main door and locked it. Today had been a _successful_ day. He left the door open and moved to his own place. He moved into his small kitchen and grabbed a soda from the fridge. He grabbed his phone and looked. No messages. He frowned, why was he feeling so worried, was she ignoring him on purpose?

He moved to take a shower. The hot water stung, he washed up and got out. He put on boxers and moved into his room. One of the dogs was sniffing around his room. He watched it moved through the place, then walk over to him. The dog licked his foot. Frowning, Joker pushed the dog away. The other was standing in the doorway, not moving.

Joker moved to his bed and laid across it. He rubbed his hands on his face and stared at the ceiling. He absently chewed the scars on the inside of his cheek. He heard one of the dogs let out a whine. He sat up and looked at the smaller of the two and frowned. He was filthy. The bigger was dirty too, but he still wasn't moving into the room.

Joker went into his bathroom and started to run water. He let the tub fill halfway and turned the tap off. He walked into the kitchen and snagged some a jar of peanut butter and moved back to the bathroom. He opened the jar and dug unto the creamy mess with his hands. He smeared the peanut butter on the wall of the tub.

He closed the jar, and moved into the bedroom. He offered the fingers covered in the mess to the dog. He sniffed and then began to lick his hands clean. Joker used his other hand to pet the mutt. His fur was matted with dirt and funk. Joker led the dog towards the bathroom. He wasn't sure where he'd learned the trick but the dog moved to the peanut butter on the wall of the tub.

Joker helped him over the edge and into the water. He watched the dog stand there, uncaring about the water. Good. Joker left him there and moved quickly to grab a cup from the kitchen. He grabbed a small plastic cup and moved back to the dog. He started to wet down the thick fur and grabbed his own cheap shampoo.

He lathered the dog and rinsed him clean. It was much lighter colored than Joker had first thought. The tub was almost black with muck. He had used an old shirt to dry the dog off and moved them both out of the bathroom. The dog was rolling around on the floor. Joker moved to look at the other dog.

Peanut butter wouldn't do for that one. He grabbed another container form the fridge and pulled out what looked like pork chops. He pulled small chunks of the meat, tossing it to the still dirty dog. It took the bait. He lure the bigger dog into the tub and tossed the remaining pork chop in the tub. The dog jumped in after and started to eat.

Joker took the peanut butter and renewed the smear along the wall. He licked his fingers clean as he watched the dog finish the meat and sniff out the sticky treat. Joker put the jar aside and started the water. He scrubbed the dog and found out this one was a she. He cleaned her up and moved to start the drying process.

Now that the dogs were clean, and well fed, Joker moved back into his room. His arms felt tired from the repetitive motion and crawled into bed. He had fallen asleep with the lights on and slept hard. The rest of the week was a blur, he would drive, with the dogs, and get to the warehouse. The park was almost ready to open. The dogs hated everyone. Things were looking up.

Cliff had kept him updated, the virus he had made had started to bring the city down. Joker had looked at some of the things that had been uploaded and they were magnificent. The depravity that people thought they could hide was beautiful. People were being warned off of social media and public WiFi networks. No one had figure out how all of these things were being uploaded.

Joker was currently sitting in his kitchen, eating the last of the food. The dogs watching him intently. He tossed each of them some food and put the empty bowl in the sink. The dogs watched his movements, he liked them he decided to name them. Punch and Judy. He got up to get ready to go back to the warehouse.

The drive to the warehouse this morning was _uneventful_. The dogs riding with their heads hanging out of the window. He pulled up to the side of the building and got out of the car. The dogs followed happily. They moved into the building and the dogs moved quietly, trailing on his heels.

Joker walked into his office and sat down. The dogs sat on the couch he had brought up for Peach all that time ago. He grabbed the last of the paperwork which was employment documents and the like. He shoved the papers in his desk. It was all for show. They 'employees' are all of Joker's latest crew. They would run the rides and all of the games.

Growling brought Joker's attention to the doorway. Peach stood there.

"I'm back." She said taking a small step into the room.

Joker watched her as she skirted around the dogs, no fear on her face. "You _are_." He said.

"Whose dogs?" she asked, eyes still locked on him.

He made a clicking noise, the dogs perked up and came to his side. He was petting them when he answered. "These are my dogs, Punch." He ruffled the smaller dog's ears. "And Judy." He ran his hand over the larger dogs head.

"I never took you for a pet kind of guy." She said.

"I have this annoying habit of collecting _strays_." He said.

She smiled at the innuendo. She stepped forward and moved to pet Punch. He let her, his tongue hanging from the side of his mouth. Joker rolled his eyes. This dog had no standards. Peach moved to pet Judy and pulled her hand back as the dog snapped at her. Joker smiled.

He pet Judy's head "Good girl."

Peach cut her eyes at him.

"I take it your _trip_ went well?" he asked as she propped herself up on his desk.

"Just fine. I'm back now."

Joker wanted to ask where she had been, but wouldn't give her the satisfaction. He continued to silently pet the dogs.

"I got your text." She said finally.

He grunted in reply, he refused to let her get him riled up.

"What are you up to?" she asked.

"Just a small side project to keep the city on their toes until the big welcome back party." He said.

She sat there for a while, Joker watched her knowing she was overthinking everything. The emotions running over her face was entertaining. She finally spoke.

"I missed you."

That was not what he had expected to come out of her mouth. He wasn't sure what her angle was. Why would she tell him that?

"_Why_?" he asked.

She laughed, "Why did I miss you?" she smiled. "No clue, but I did."

He laughed, she was blunt for sure. He leaned back into his chair and closed his eyes.

"Good." He said. That cause her to laugh again. He hated and loved that sound. He pushed away from the desk and her. He stood up and moved to pace the floor. Once he began to feel calm, he turned back to her.

She was now standing beside the desk, watching him pace and the dogs follow. He felt the urge to touch her and he didn't like it. He shook the feeling off and smiled at her.

"The park opens Monday and the big day is Friday." He said.

"So soon?" she frowned slightly.

"_Yeah_."

She chewed on her bottom lip, deep in thought.

"What's the matter? You got a _hot_ date?" he joked, then felt a bit of anger _build_ at that thought.

She looked up at him and smiled. "No, no date." She said.

He hated the relief he felt at her words. He watched her as she walked towards him. Smiling when Judy began to growl at her.

She froze and glared at the dog. "I'm going home, I'm going to take a long shower and maybe a nap. Will you come home tonight?" she asked.

Joker locked eyes with her, happy to see she wasn't wearing the contacts. The mesmerizing green and brown gaze calmed him down enough that he answered.

"Yeah, I'll be home later."

She leaned forward and kissed him lightly on the mouth. Judy was in front of him in a second, snarling at Peach. Joker leaned down calming the dog. Peach was already out of the office and headed home. Joker loved that lack of fear in her.

He moved back to the desk and grabbed his phone, then heading down to the main floor. He watched as the men parted and let him and the dogs through. Joker walked up to Ace and nodded.

"Listen up." Ace bellowed, the entire place quieted down.

Joker looked over the crowd and smiled.

"Alright boys, take this weekend to have _fun_ and relax. Monday morning you start your 'Jobs' up at Amusement mile. It will be _boring_, but it's a means to an end. Friday the real job begins. You will all meet up here and ride together. It's gonna be one hell of a night."

The men hooted and cheered. Joker felt the disgust move through him. They would all be dead or incarcerated by Saturday. He turned to Ace.

"Get it all set up." He turned and left.

He drove around aimlessly. The dogs in the back, taking in the sights. Once the sun had started to set, Joker decided to head home. He pulled his car into the back of the building and let the dogs run around. He made his way to the gate and the three of them walked inside and up to the front door.

He walked in and went straight to his rooms. He got the dogs their water and moved to his room. As he walked through the place, he noticed his dishes had been done, his room looked cleaner, and it looked like his laundry had been taken care of. He sat on the bed and rubbed his hands on his face.

He heard the growls, a mumbled voice coming from the other room. He chuckled as she hurried through the door.

"That dog hates me." She said, moving to set next to him on the bed.

"Looks that way." He said.

She turned to face him, pulling one leg up under her. "Did you enjoy your week of quiet?" she asked.

He looked over at her. "It was like any other week." He said, not sure what she wanted him to say.

She seemed hurt. He didn't like that look in her eyes. He reached over and took her hand in his. Their fingers interlaced. Her eyebrows shot up as she looked at their hands. He saw the smile she tried to hide and leaned back on the bed. He liked the feel of her soft skin.

They stayed like that for a few minutes, neither saying anything. Peaches phone chimed and she let go of his hand to grab it.

"Dinner's ready, let's go." She said getting off of the bed and heading upstairs. Joker followed.


	16. Chapter 16

**A/N: beware it gets a bit, um, smutty . **

* * *

_~I got my head but my head is unraveling_

_ Can't keep control, can't keep track of where it's traveling_

_ I got my heart but my heart's no good_

_ You're the only one that's understood_

_ I come along but I don't know where you're taking me_

_ I shouldn't go but you're wrenching, dragging, shaking me_

_ Turn off the sun, pull the stars from the sky_

_ The more I give to you, the more I die~_

_~Nine Inch Nails~_

* * *

Joker lay in his bed, Peach fast asleep next to him. He started at the cracked ceiling, unable to sleep. It was getting to close to his big return to the limelight, his mind was in overdrive. He had a multitude of scenarios rushing through his head. His brain working out ways to make each eventuality work out in his favor. It allowed him to be flexible in _most_ situation. It was a blessing and a curse.

He had set up Friday as an adult only, private party event. He had Ace send out special invites to the people who absolutely _had_ to be there. The rest were just random citizens he had sent the same tickets. He chewed the inside of his scarred cheek. The only part set in stone was how he would show himself. It involved fireworks, of course.

The anticipation was unbearable. He loved it. The long build to the eventual climax. _That_ idea brought on a completely different feeling now. He, against his better judgement, turned his head to look at the girl sleeping soundly next to him. She was on her side, facing him. One of her small hands curled up by her face, her lips slightly parted.

He watched her eyes moving behind her closed eyelids. Was she dreaming? He turned onto his side to face her. He watched the small twitches and movements of her face. He lifted his hand to touch a small curl that had escaped her bedtime braid. He lightly pulled the tuft of hair and released it, watching it spring back to a perfect curl.

He looked at her, really looked, she had become beautiful, just like he told her she would. He _hated_ how perfect her features were. No that wasn't true, he hated that he _liked_ her pretty face. He brushed his fingertip along the shell of her ear. Her hand moved, slapping at his hand like she was swatting at a fly. He fought back a chuckle.

He _hated_ that she laid there, at her most vulnerable, next to him. He killed people without any remorse. The fact that he didn't scare her _infuriated_ him. She was too trusting. He could feel a rage move through him suddenly, an overwhelming push to do _something_. He moved over her quickly, acting out of pure instinct. He had her small body trapped under his, his hand around her delicate neck, squeezing.

Her eyes shot open in a panic, her hand reaching up for his, grasping his wrist. She met his eyes, the fear _beautiful_ on her face. Her hand slid down to his. He assumed she would start to claw at it when she realized he wouldn't let up. Instead, she stilled her body, her hand squeezing his own, tightening it around her throat.

The action surprised him, he watched as her face began to turn red. She didn't fight, she smiled, and his control was lost. He let go of her neck, and as she gasped in that first bit of air, he gripped her face. The kiss he gave her was harsh and demanding. A bump of teeth, a bite to the lip. The coppery taste of blood mixed into it. His? Hers? Both? Joker didn't care.

He felt her small, soft hands touch his chest. When he didn't stop their movement, or his kisses, she continued. He _liked_ her soft touches more than he cared to admit, even to himself. Her hands moved along his back, his shoulder. One digging nails into the flesh there. The other hand moved across his side, he grabbed it, pulling it up and over her head, holding it in his own.

"_That_ tickles." He said against her mouth.

She laughed. He frowned, the sound he usually liked, infuriated him. He reached for the neckline of her singlet top, pulling it down. She gasped as he bit the top of her breast. She let out one of her whimpers. Joker could feel his cock harden at the sound. He looked at the beauty if his bite mark on her creamy skin. He _really_ like it.

He grabbed hold and tugged roughly on the top, tearing the thin fabric like paper. He kissed her mouth again as his hand touched the breast he had just marked. His thumb first moving along the imprint of his teeth, then across her hardened nipple. She moaned into his mouth.

He was quickly losing any control he might have had, letting his animalistic need push him. He moved his legs, parting hers. He placed himself between her thighs. She whimpered again when she pushed her hips up. She ground her sex against his erection. Joker, used his free hand to reach down to the waistband of her sleep shorts. He tugged them down her hips, and off her small frame.

He moved back to kiss her as his hands found her slick heat. When his roaming fingers entered her, she bit his lip, hard. He began moving them at steady pace, her whimpers and gasps pushing him to continue. She dug her nails into his back, drawing blood.

She surprised him when she reached down and tugged the side of his boxers down far enough to use her tiny foot to push them down over his hips. The smoothness of the gesture tickled him. He laughed, impressed. She reached his face, a hand on both sides. She locked eyes with him and brazenly rubbed her thumbs along his scars.

The movement caused him to close his eyes, sending a shiver down his spine. He could feel his pulse pounding in his ears and echoing through his body. He reached down to position himself, his dick painfully ready for this. He moved to kiss her again before pushing his hips forward, sliding quickly into her small body. He felt her entire body tense. When the first rush of pleasure calmed, he realized he had pushed through the small resistance that he now assumed was her virginity. He froze, eyes closed, refusing to look at her. He had assumed she had, at some point, given in to hormones and had sex with some fumbling teenage boy.

He remained motionless, he hated that the thought of no one else ever touching her like this made him happy. Knowing that she was _his_ blank canvas to taint was intoxicating. She grabbed his face. His eyes shot open and he looked at her. Her hair was a knotted mess, her eyes were wet, but she didn't cry. Not his girl. Her mouth was smeared in blood from the bite she had given him. _Fuck_ she looked beautiful.

She kissed him again and all other thoughts were forgotten. He began to move inside her, setting a rough pace. She started to get the idea, her hips rising to meet his. She moved her small mouth from his, her tongue running lightly along the scar on his cheek. She moved biting along his ear lobe and neck. Her body felt so good, Joker lost himself, the logical, overthinking side of his mind was gone. He was nothing but nerve endings and want. He continued to move inside her, the warm, wet heat of her body destroying the small connection he had to sanity.

He could feel her core tightening around him. Her body squeezing almost painfully on his cock as he continued the pace he enjoyed. Her body responding beautifully. She bit down on his neck as her orgasm washed over her. The pain from that bite shot through Joker's body. As she released the flesh, the heat of the blood oozing from him and the burn and sting of the bite sent a tingling at his spine that spread until, after a few more pumps of his hips, he released himself deep inside her. He collapsed half on her, half on the bed. She didn't move, her small form lying very still under him.

As the haze of his orgasm began to leave him, his mind went into overdrive, buzzing with chaotic thought. She shifted slightly, and he moved off of her and onto his side. She turned her body to face his. She still didn't touch him and for that he was grateful. He didn't think he could handle her soft touches right now. After a few minutes passed she finally spoke.

"I love you." She said, her voice low and slightly rough.

Joker fought that nauseous panic that flooded his body as his mind came back to him. He moved onto his back and looked at the cracked ceiling. The night moving full circle.

"I know." He said.

She didn't fight or push for more from him. She moved to grab the blanket from the end of the bed, covering their bodies, and snuggled into his side. They were both sticky, a little sweaty and had a bit of dried blood on them. None of that bothered him. What had him worried was the racing thoughts were gone. The now calm silence in his head was deafening. He laid there, listening to her soft snores and occasional whimpers, until the sun started shooting sunlight through the boards on his window.

He must have dozed off at some point, he realized as he woke up in a disoriented panic. The bed was empty, and the floor free of their tossed clothing. He got up and showered. The water almost hot enough to burn. Feeling clean, he stepped out of the shower and moved to grab some clothes. Once dressed, he needed to put on his face.

The steam had cleared the bathroom and the mirror, though dirty, was fog free. He pulled out his war paint and started getting ready. Once all of that was done he put away the tins of paint and checked his reflection. He saw the large bruised bite mark on his neck. He wasn't really sure how he felt about _that_.

He turned abruptly and stormed into the bedroom. He finished gathering his things and left, two confused dogs following behind him. He drove them to the warehouse, ignoring the many dings and chimes from his phone. Once there he parked the car and got out. Without a word to anyone, he made his way into his office, locking the door behind him.

He sat at his desk and looked at the phone. One message form Ace, and four messages from Peach. He read Ace's message first.

'Park is ready to open Monday. Everything set.'

That made Joker smile. He closed out that and opened the first of _four_ from Peach.

'Had emergency at the club, I'll bring you lunch later'

'Your dogs are assholes'

That one made him laugh.

'Be by around 1'

He looked at the time, it was barely noon. The last message made him groan.

'Love you.'

He put the phone down and checking the time again. He had just over an hour before she would be here. He was angry at himself. Everything was just starting to come together and what did he do? He decided to cross a line he hadn't even considered was there before. He hadn't meant to fuck her. Truth be told, if she had fought him last night instead of accepting her fate with his hands on her neck, he would have probably followed through and killed her. His brain was all kinds of jumbled at the moment.

She just had to look at him with all of the trust she had and just _accept_ it. That had been what threw him off his game. She would have _let_ him strangle her. She was crazy. She was absolutely fucking crazy. He had let that animalistic side take over. The question that bothered him was, 'Did he regret their tryst?'. Well, maybe it wasn't the question, it was more the answer that was twisting his mind around. _No, _he didn't regret it.

He kept having small flashes of their activities popping up at the strangest times. It was very annoying. He was about to start a very fun and important endeavor into the world of business owner. (The titty bar didn't count. That was _her_ baby.) He didn't need his brain flinging dirty thoughts forward at the strangest times. He pushed these thought far from his mind. He would not be falling down _that_ rabbit hole anytime soon. He had to focus. It was too close to go time for all of these _distractions_.

Tomorrow was the grand opening and then the countdown would begin. He had Ace deliver the flash drive back to Cliff, with the instructions to upload all the rest of them Friday night after the party started. That little side plan had been one of his best ideas. The virus was putting not only pictures and videos up, but banking info, social security numbers, you name it, you could find it now. Three different politicians had been arrested for either kiddie porn or being with underage girl _and_ boys. Not only was he wreaking havoc, but also getting rid of a few perverts. Win-win.

Sooner than he realized, the lock on his door clicked and the knob turned. Peach walked in and set down a large soda and a greasy burger. He looked at the food, frowning as he started to eat. The food was good, he frowned, she had been feeding him regularly. Maybe she was playing the long game and was trying to kill him with cholesterol.

He laughed at the thought. He finished the food and started to drink the sugary drink. He watched her as she ate a few fries. Feeding a few to Punch. Judy had no desire to get near Peach. That made him happy. At least one of the mutts was loyal.

"You busy today?" she asked, cleaning up the mess of wrappers.

He looked at her. "Don't I _look_ busy?" he asked gesturing wildly with his hands.

"Not really." She said shrugging.

He didn't respond. He watched her, she moved quickly, a small bounce in her step. She wore another of those damned tiny skirts. He groaned inwardly. He looked away and busied himself.

"I guess I will go, you going to come home later?" she asked.

He didn't look at her, he pretended to read the papers he had pulled from the desk. "Yea, later." He dismissed her.

She turned and he looked up watching her leave. She reached down to pet Punch on his head and blew a kiss to Judy. The dog made a half growl half barking sound at her. Joker watched her smile at the mutt and leave, pulling the door closed.

He waited a full minute before heading to the door, hoping that would give her enough time to leave. He wanted to go down and check if the news had anything important to say today. He got up from his desk and walked over to the door, the dogs jumping and moving to his side.

He stepped out and peeked over the rail to see if she had left. His eyes found her standing by the door, She was talking to someone. Joker took a few steps to the side to see who had the balls to talk to her. She laughed at something the man said. Joker finally could see it was one of his nameless goons. This was a younger guy, he had been working for Joker for about a week.

He watched their interaction, it seemed innocent enough. Peach keeping her distance. Just talking. Joker was turning to go back to his office when he saw the man reach forward and grabbed her elbow, sliding the hand down her forearm. He watched as the man held her hand. He felt a strange feeling in his gut. Maybe the burger was bad.

Suddenly the man's body lurched to the side and _collapsed_. Joker's eyes widened. He looked down, realizing his gun was in his hand. He didn't remember even reaching for it. He put his arm down and locked eyes with Peach. All eyes, including hers, were on him.

_Fuck_. She had this strange look on her face. A goofy lopsided smile. Eyes bright. He put the gun away, still looking at the girl. Her smile had grown. He turned and walked back into his office and slammed the door behind him.

He paced the floor in front of his desk. He hadn't meant to _shoot_ the guy, not that he felt bad for _that_. Just confused, he didn't remember grabbing, aiming or shooting the damn gun. His mind started to rationalize the entire thing. The man should not have touched _his_ girl. She had _always_ been his, but after last night she was _only_ his. Fuck.

His phone chimed and he grabbed it from his pocket. He did not want to look at it. It chimed again. He pushed the button to turn the screen on and looked. A message from Peach.

'Love you too'

He groaned aloud. The other was from Ace.

'Should I hire a replacement?'

He laughed, texting him back.

'only if we need to.'

He ignored _her_ text. He was sure she was gone now. He needed to talk to his men, had to educate them on a few things. He went back down to the open area of the ware house. He got their attention with little effort.

"Attention boys." He said.

The room was quiet and every eye was on him. Good.

"I don't live by any _real_ set of rules. That being said, I don't like people touching _my_ things." He paused, licking the scar on his bottom lip. "Am I clear?" he asked.

The men nodded, mumbled yes's around the room.

"Good, now tomorrow you all start your new jobs. Behave as if you were all just law abiding citizens. On Friday, the real fun happens." He said. The men laughed and cheered. Joker moved to the small couch and turned on the news. The mood of the room finally returned to normal.


	17. Chapter 17

**A/N: If you guys are still with me... here's the next chapter.**

* * *

_~I'm,_

_trying to hold it together,_

_Head is lighter than a feather,_

_Looks like I'm not getting better,_

_not getting better~_

_~Korn~_

* * *

Opening day went off without a hitch. The men had grumbled about having to work an honest job. Joker had taken care of the matter with a crowbar, using it to explain _why_ it was important to put up the front that it was a _normal_ amusement park.

Truth be told, it had felt good to let out a bit of his frustrations the old fashioned way, _blunt force trauma. _It probably hadn't felt so good to the poor schmuck who caught the brunt of the lesson. Joker made his way home and into the shower to clean of the blood spatter. The hot water helping to ease the tension in his muscles.

He got out and dried himself off. The cooler air of his room felt good. He was tired, but doubted he would get any sleep. His mind was busy, going full blast. He was working through last minute details for Friday and getting flashes from his alone time with Peach at the worst possible moments.

He hadn't seen the girl all day. It hadn't made him as happy as he thought it would have. He needed sleep. He moved to the kitchen. He needed some water, water sounded good. He grabbed a glass from the countertop. It looked clean enough. He turned on the tap and filled the glass.

As he finished his third glass of water, he heard the door open. He set the empty cup down on the counter and watched as the cause of his stress walked through the doorway. She had bags hanging from her arms and was talking, loudly, on the phone she had tucked on her shoulder.

"I don't care. The deal was 15%. If Georgie doesn't like it, tell him to grow a pair and tell me to my face, not send some hopped up asshole to harass me."

Joker's eyes narrowed at that. Who exactly was harassing his girl?

"Just tell him stop being such a bitch." She hung up the phone. She looked furious.

Joker watched her pace for a second before asking, "Bad day?"

Peach jumped, turning to face hm. "You scared me." She said rummaging through the bags she had brought in. "Just a small business problem." she said.

Joker didn't speak, she continued. "A partner of the club, is trying to take advantage of my generous spirit." She said, putting away the last of the groceries she had brought him.

"Looks like you have you gone _soft_." he said, knowing it would ruffle her feathers a bit.

She turned to face him, "Excuse me?"

Joker smiled. "I thought I'd taught you better than that." He tsked at her.

Her eyes narrowed, she was really pissed. Joker felt that flutter of butterflies in his belly, He liked _this_.

"You _have_ gone soft, playing good citizen, bar owner long enough, you are starting to believe it yourself."

She was trembling with rage, Joker continued.

"Big words don't mean anything if they aren't backed up by big actions. Your 'Business partner' knows this. That's why they are trying to screw you over. You're just a silly little girl, _playing_ with the big boys."

He moved a step closer to her. "Don't try to be like them, I taught you better."

She grabbed the glass he had been drinking from and threw it at him. Joker ducked, the glass hitting the wall behind him and shattering.

"Better." He said "But not good enough."

She screamed and lunged for him. He caught her small form, locking her into his arms. She was fighting to free herself now. Joker was getting excited. She clawed and slapped at him. When he didn't release her, she even bit him. That sent a rush of heat straight to his dick.

He turned her in his arms and pushed her face first onto the counter. He leaned his body over her back, pushing her chest into the glass shards scattered along the surface. He used his forearm to hold her shoulders down and she hissed as her face found more glass pieces.

She was forced up on tip toes, Joker placed his face on hers, cheek to cheek.

"That was _much_ better." The words causing her to struggle again. The movement causing her ass to rub against his boxer covered erection. He groaned from the movement and her body froze. He closed his eyes to get control of himself. He was caught off guard when she pushed harder, her soft but firm body rubbing against him.

Suddenly she shot her head back, connecting with his nose. The blow was hard enough that he momentarily saw stars. He moved back from the counter and grabbed his bleeding face. Lucky for him, and her, it wasn't broken, but the blood flowed freely down his face.

He spit out the blood that had hit his mouth, and smiled at her. The sight would be terrifying to any normal person.

"There she is, I thought they'd killed that spark."

She interrupted him. "Don't you dare, I had to learn how to adapt, alone. You don't get to make me feel bad because I can hide my crazy better than you." She spat at him.

He was not crazy, but he let the comment slide. "Why hide it? Hmm? Who cares what the _morons_ in this city think? Why do you care? You are too perfect to conform to their standards." He said.

Her shoulders relaxed and she got that stupid look on her face again. Joker wondered what he had said now.

"You think I'm perfect?"

He groaned. "Well, you seem to be a bit on the sappy side. But yea, I think so."

She ran and jumped at him. He caught her and she kissed him. He kissed back, his hands squeezing tight. She pulled away from their kiss. Once again they were both smeared in blood. She looked at him and started to speak but he interrupted her.

"If you are about to spout some mushy drivel, save it." He said

She closed her mouth, but a smile formed.

"_What_?" he asked.

"Nothing." She said, freeing herself from his grasp.

He let her go, she turned and finished putting up the things she had brought in. She moved then to the table and grabbed a large garment bag and handed it to him.

"I had your suit dry cleaned, for Friday. I know you like to look your best."

"Thanks,"

He turned and moved to his room to put up the clothes, and to escape. The scene was becoming far too _domestic_ for his liking. He moved to his bathroom and washed the blood from his face. He grabbed a rag and scrubbed, being careful around his tender nose. Once he had that cleaned, he reached under the sink to grab the first aid kit.

He moved back to the kitchen and set the kit on the table. He rummaged through until he had everything he would need laid out. She was sweeping up the glass from the floor, with a broom he didn't know they even had. He moved to the sink and wet a clean rag under the tap.

"Peach, come here." He said.

She leaned the broom against the wall and moved over to stand in front of him. He grabbed her hand and pulled her over to the kitchen table. He lifted her up to sit on it. He grabbed her chin, moving her face to see the damage. It wasn't bad.

He wiped the area clean of blood, smiling as she winced and cut her eyes at him. He tossed the rag on the table and reached for the tweezers. He moved slowly, pulling the small piece of glass from her skin. He watched the blood begin to leak from the small cut. He was frozen as he watched it trail from her cheek bone to her chin.

He pulled himself from his stupor and got to work. He dabbed the wound with alcohol, then reached for the small tube of superglue.

"What do you think you are doing?" she asked, eyes on the glue.

"It doesn't need stitches, but it might scar, this will help. Trust me." He said.

He knew that would work. She practically begged him with her eyes to trust her constantly, which he wasn't sure if he did. She closed her eyes and stopped complaining.

He pinched the skin together and ran the glue across the small cut. He blew lightly to speed up the drying process and then released her. He looked at the small mark on her face. Not bad, maybe he should have been a doctor. He laughed at his silent joke.

He cleaned the trail of blood from her face and then lightly slapped the other side.

"There _all_ done."

"Do you have medical training?"

He laughed, her question lining up with his own musings tickled him. He cleaned up his mess and put the items back into the kit.

"_No_, I, uh, learned on the job."

"Oh, that makes sense." she was quiet for a few seconds. "I'm majoring in chemistry." She said.

He replied with a "_Mhm_." While he finished putting away his supplies.

"If I tell you something you have to promise not to get mad." She said, her voice sounding small and almost scared.

He turned to face her, he didn't say a word, but he kept his eyes locked on her. She sighed. She knew he'd never promise something so broad.

"I snuck into the warehouse and took your toxin that we had put into the canisters." She paused "It's all safe, I have it locked up. I have been experimenting with it" she said.

'BINGO' he thought. "What _kind_ of experiments?" he said out loud.

She smiled, hoping his questions were a good sign. "I've made it better." She said.

"Better how?" he asked, keeping his voice level.

"Well, I took the toxin and tweaked it a bit. It's non-lethal, but, you have to see it to believe it." She said smiling.

He frowned. The _best_ part of it was it was lethal. How could making it non-lethal make it better? He liked that his toxin would leave a large grin pulled onto the people's face that stayed even after death. It was..._poetic_.

"Let's go." he said.

She blinked in surprise. "Now?"

He stopped, "Yea, go change into something, _fun_." He said.

He watched as she hopped from the table and ran upstairs. He laughed and moved to his room. He grabbed a pair of jeans and a shirt. Then grabbed his black hoodie. Once dressed he slapped on his war paint. He was feeding the dogs when she came back down from her room.

He watched her move down the last few steps. She had pulled her curls into the same pigtails she had worn when she was younger. She had a barely there top on that showed the bite mark he'd left on the top of her breast. Then threadbare black jeans that seemed like a second skin. To top it off she had neon green high tops on.

He turned away from her and headed to the car, he had to stop looking at her. They got in the car and he turned to her, sure to only look at her face.

"Where to, doll?"

She smiled. "The club." She said.

He frowned, "The titty bar?" he asked.

She laughed, "Yes."

He drove them to the bar and parked around back. They made their way to the office and she locked the door behind them.

"Have a seat, this will only take a minute." She said.

Joker walked over to the chair at her desk. He sat down and smiled, _his _new chair was better than this one. The grin stayed on his face as he watched her.

She moved to a large picture frame. She touched along the outer edge and the frame moved free of the wall. There was a big safe. Joker laughed at the cliché.

She punched in a code, then put her thumb on a small pad. The safe opened with a hissing sound. She opened the door and quickly typed in a four digit code. Joker was impressed. A booby-trap for anyone who thought they could get into the safe on their own.

She pulled out a small box and closed up the entire thing. With the picture frame back in place, she made her way over to the desk. She propped herself onto it. Joker moved the chair closer, as she opened the small box.

Inside set two small vials of a bright pink liquid and four small syringes full of a clear liquid. Joker looked back up at her.

"I have already tested it and whatever you injected me with before seems to carry over it immunity. You should be immune as well, though I have extra of the antidote, just in case." She picked up one of the pink vials.

"This is it, you break the vial. It's instantly airborne, though it only lasts a few minutes in the air. Any touching of the actual liquid will also infect you, just a bit slower." She said.

He took the small vial from her hands, looking it over. "You have more?" he asked.

"Yea, locked away safe with the rest of your toxin as well." She said.

He stood, closing the case and handing it to her. "Good, let's go test this out." He said heading for the door.

She jumped from the desk and rushed after him. "Where?" she asked.

He froze, He hadn't thought that far ahead. Before he could make a suggestion, her phone chimed. She pulled the phone out of her back pocket and frowned. Joker looked at the name Georgie. That was the name she had said earlier. Who the fuck was Georgie? He wondered.

She read the text message.

'I'm no bitch! Face–to–face now. You know where.'

Joker smiled. Perfect!

"Let's go meet up with Georgie." He said.

"I'll drive." She said.

Joker tossed her the keys and got in the car. Joker laughed as she pulled into traffic. This felt more like the old days, no thinking, just reacting. She sped through the streets of Gotham, not stopping for lights, or pedestrians. _If_ Joker didn't love her before, he just might now.


	18. Chapter 18

**A/N: OMG I don't know what was going through my mind with this one...**

* * *

_~She's incredible,_

_Unforgettable,_

_Undeniable, _

_Breathtaking,_

_Furious,_

_She's so mysterious,_

_I'm curious,_

_Earth shaking~_

_~Insane Clown Posse~_

* * *

They pulled up to a shitty little restaurant. The lights were all off. No people in sight. Joker got out of the car and waited for Peach to walk over. They made their way to the employee entrance and Joker pulled his gun from the small of his back. He wanted to be ready for whatever was behind the door.

Peach knocked on the metal door. The door opened and the man behind it looked from Peach to Joker then moved to pull a weapon. Joker had his gun to the man's face.

"_Ah, ah, ah_, just open the door and let the lady and me through."

The man let the door open the rest of the way and Joker motioned for Peach to enter. Joker was nothing, if not a gentleman. He chuckled as he pushed the man forward.

"Lead the way." He said

The man looked at Peach. "The boss won't like you bringing the nut job clown with you."

"That's not very nice, she's _not_ a nut job." Joker scolded the man.

Peach laughed and shook her head. The man leading the way stopped talking. They finally stopped, the man opened the door and stepped through, barely clearing the doorway when Joker pulled the trigger.

The bullet went through the back of the man's skull, exploding brains, bone fragments, and gore across the room. His body fell forward, making a large thud as it tumbled to the floor. Peach had already ducked into the room and Joker moved forward, pulling the door closed behind him.

Peach moved forward, around the mess the dead man was making. "Hiya Georgie." She said.

"What the fuck, why did you kill Paulie?" he asked. He was already out of his seat.

She glanced down at the dead man. "I didn't kill him." She shrugged.

The man's eyes moved to lock onto the Joker, who still stood with back against the wall. Joker held his hands up in a 'whoops' short of gesture.

"Your man, your problem." Georgio said pointing at Peach.

Peach turned to look at Joker, her eyes lit up in amusement. They _were_ mesmerizing. Joker gave her a shrug. This was her deal and he wanted to see how she would handle it.

She turned back to the man at the desk. "Oh Georgie, you should know the Joker works for no one, but himself." She said stepping a few feet closer.

The man's eyes shot over to Joker, then back to her. "_You_ work for the Joker?" he asked, looking slightly confused.

She laughed, "Nope, guess again."

The man relaxed slightly, sitting back down in his chair. Joker watched him closely. "I never pegged you as crazy enough to fuck this lunatic." He said gesturing at Joker.

That _almost_ hurt. Joker held back the laughter threatening to bubble up. Peach's laugher made him smile. Georgio looked at the Joker. Joker stared back, was he waiting for a reply? Did Georgio think Joker would attack him over some name calling? Joker held back the giggles trying to escape.

He shrugged at the man's statement, "Maybe she's got a _thing_ for clowns."

Georgio laughed at that one, and Peach frowned.

"Are you finished?" she asked Joker. He smiled and nodded.

"Georgie, we had a business arrangement, and you trying to screw me over doesn't sit well with me. Apparently, we have already established, I have a thing for clowns." She let her voice trail off.

Things were getting _intense_ and he loved it. He loved watching his girl in action. The excitement becoming all too visible, Joker had to _discretely_ adjust himself. She was causing his body to be completely out of his control. He laughed at the ridiculousness of it all.

Peach reached her hand back toward him, palm up. Joker reached into his pocket and tossed her the small glass vial. She smiled at him. The twinkle in her eye was beautiful.

She caught the small vial in her hand and turned back to Georgio.

"I have decided to end our arrangement. You will get nothing, and I will just take what I want."

Before he could say a word, she had slammed down the small glass vial against the desktop. A cloud of pink vapor filled the air. Georgio was fanning the cloud away from him, but it was too late. He started to cough, taking in huge amounts into his lungs when he breathed in.

Peach stepped back and watched. Joker hadn't taken his eyes off of the choking man. _This_ is where the formulas apparently split, Jokers would have killed him as soon as the smile was pulled into his muscles on his face. Her formula had the smile in place, but he was crouched behind the desk, eyes darting back and forth looking around.

He was like a wild animal, he looked absolutely _insane_. Joker watched in a mix of horror and delight as the once clean pressed Georgio, crawled along the floor to the dead man in front of them. He felt his stomach turn slightly as the man started to pick through the bits of gore on the floor.

He giggled in delight as the wild man started to eat the grey matter. Licking his fingers clean after every bite. This was not the same man that Peach had just been talking to.

"Hey, Doll, are the effects of this permanent?" he asked, moving to get a better look.

"Unless the antidote is given." She said.

He wanted to _see_ the reversion, he wanted to see if he would _remember_ the taste of his lackey's blood. He moved quickly over to Peach and pulled her into his arms. He kissed her softly on the mouth. Eyes still locked on hers. He liked the sparkle they had when she let her crazy out. _His_ girl, with the stars in her eyes.

"I think," he said, talking against her mouth. "We should let our friend fill up a bit more before we give him the medicine to turn back. I want to see if he remembers it all."

She smiled. "Fine but it will cost you." She said.

"Name it and it's yours." He said, still on his high from watching her work.

"Promise me." She said.

He let her go, then scooped up her hand. He locked their pinkies together. "Promise." He said.

She smiled and pulled the small box from her pocket. She grabbed the small hypodermic needle and waited. When Georgie had started to dig in the skull for more, Joker gave her the go ahead.

She pressed the needle into his skin and pushed the stopper down. It took less than a minute for him to come back to reality. The screams and retching sound were disturbingly _beautiful_. Joker watched as the man crawled away, trailing blood and vomit in his wake. The rictus smile had left his face. You wouldn't be able to tell the man had been feasting on his buddy just moments before, if it weren't for the blood smeared on his face.

Joker looked over at his girl. "Should he live or die?" he asked.

She looked at the crying man in the corner and smiled. "Let him _live_ with it." She said and started to leave the room.

Joker could not have been happier with her decision. He turned to leave, stopping at the door. "See you later, Georgie."

He followed after Peach and out the door. She insisted on driving and he let her. It gave him time to think about everything he had just witnessed. He was silent the entire ride home, in his mind, running through the possibilities of this new development.

It was brilliant from start to finish, she had bypassed the need for a delivery system. The crushing of the vial made a mist of it. He needed to test it more. See if different people acted differently to it. He followed her into the apartment building, she made for his door. They stepped inside and he closed the door behind him. She set her phone and the small box on the table.

Joker grabbed her, pulling her into his room. He pushed her towards the bed, laughing as she made an 'oof' sound when she hit the mattress. He started to undress, her eyes were locked on him as he took off his hoodie. She pulled her hair out of the pigtails.

He pulled his shirt over his head, she did the same. He watched her breasts bounce free of the small shirt. He stripped out of his pants and boxers in one motion. She followed suit. Standing naked in front of him. He moved forward, burying his hands into her hair and kissing her.

He tugged her hair, pulling her head back. She smiled into the next kiss, then bit him hard on the bottom lip. He let go of her and pushed her back onto the bed. He watched as she moved her body up and made room for him to follow. Her skin was smooth, only flawed by the small scar on her thigh and his bite mark on her breast. The sight was almost too much.

He moved over her, kissing, biting, pinching, and licking his way around her body. She moved, pushing him onto his back. He let her take control, this was _her_ night. She moved over him, touching and looking at his many scars. Joker watched her as she studied the map he wore of his many adventures.

She finally made her way down, gripping his erection in her small hand. He sucked in a breath as she moved her hand up and down on him. She moved herself over him, guiding him into her warm body. She pushed herself down on him. He reached up hands on her hips, helping her find the rhythm she needed.

Once she found the steady rhythm, she moved his hands up to her breasts, as she continued to move her hips. Joker dug his nails into the soft flesh, dragging his nails down her body. He watched the red lines appear. It was all too much. He knew he was so close to losing it when her sex started to clamp down on him. Her orgasm pulsed through her and caused Joker to lose his last bit of control.

As he came, he felt like what was left of his battered soul poured into her, leaving him lost and empty. She collapsed on his chest, breathing hard. His hands moved to grip her thighs, enjoying her weight on him. She started to move, he tightened his grip. She giggled into his chest.

"I have to pee." She said.

He reluctantly let her go. His small moment of clarity gone as she made her way into the bathroom. He grabbed his boxers and pulled them on. He crawled back into bed. For the first time in a while he was actually tired. He didn't remember her coming back to bed.

The whining of the dogs woke him. He didn't move, something was off. He looked around the room. Peach was asleep beside him. He looked at his watch and saw it was half past four. It was dark out so it was early morning, he'd only gotten an hour or so of sleep. He got up from the bed and pulled on the clothes he wore last night. He grabbed one of his many knives and moved to the kitchen.

The floor was cold on his bare feet, helping to wake him up even more. He searched the room, everything was how he'd left it. He moved to the front door and looked out of the peep hole and saw only the dark hallway. He opened the door and peeked out. It was clear. He moved across the small hallway and opened the door to the dogs' room.

They darted out and down the hallway, whimpering and whining. Then up the stairs. They came back down emptyhanded. _Something_ had them spooked. Joker wondered if his place was compromised. He moved back into his apartment, bringing the dogs with him. He grabbed his phone and called Ace.

The man picked upon the fifth ring.

"Boss?"

"Morning sunshine, we need to find a new place, I think I've outgrown this one." He said.

"You and the girl?" Ace asked. "And the dogs?"

"Yep, out of the way, gated, something _nice_." He said.

"I'll get you a list." He said. "You coming in later?"

"_I'm_ headed to the office now." He said then hung up.

The warehouse was quiet. If any of the guys were staying here, they were all still asleep. It was almost 6:00 AM and Joker had spent the last hour brainstorming. He had left the dogs locked in with Peach. _That_ should give her a good surprise this morning.

The second day of business would start in a few hours. One day closer to the big party. He had originally planned for his guys to just take hostages and kill a few select people. Now he had a better idea. Instead of torturing and killing, he'd infect them and have them _maybe_ kill each other. It would also let him have a chance to see the effects on a broader scale.

He needed the rest of the toxin and he had to figure out how to dose everyone. First things first, he texted Peach. He needed to talk to her and get the pink stuff transferred soon. He pulled his phone out and sent her a short message.

He pocketed his phone and headed down to see if he could find out anything on the morning news. He still surprised to see no one out and about, they must have been tired from their first day on the job. He turned on the television and plopped down on the threadbare couch.

'_The investigation into the data breach affecting all of Gotham city has not made any advancement. Police say all attempts to take down the host domain have been futile. No one is sure why all of the personal information has been posted, and still are unsure who is behind this cyber terrorist attack."_

Joker grinned at the chaos the entire thing has caused, they would all know soon enough who was behind it all. As to why? Well he was _bored_.

"_In other news The city has announced the grand reopening of Arkham Asylum. As we know, the building was left in ruins after the terrorist known only as Bane had taken over the city. The Wayne Foundation, under the guidance of its CEO, has funded the vast majority of its renovation. The ribbon cutting ceremony is to be held Friday morning."_

Joker smiled. What better way to _thank_ the city, than to fill its asylum with the crazies he would be making that evening. Things were really starting to look up.


	19. Ch19

**A/N: here it is...**

* * *

_~I admit it...what's to say...yeah..._

_I'll relive it...without pain...mmm... _

_ Backstreet lover on the side of the road_

_I got a bomb in my temple that is gonna explode_

_I got a sixteen gauge buried under my clothes, I play_

_Once upon a time I could control myself_

_Ooh, once upon a time I could lose myself, yeah~_

_~Pearl Jam~_

* * *

Joker sat on the roof of his home. This was the only home he'd had for years, besides Arkham, of course. He would miss it when he moved. Maybe he'd keep it for emergencies. He watched the sun setting. The filthy air causing the sky to be filled with purples, pinks and green. He had found a stale pack of cigarettes and had brought one up to smoke.

He hated the idea of smoking, the habit was disgusting, but the swift kick of nicotine was what he needed right now. The rush making him almost feel light headed. He welcomed the feeling. He leaned against the large A/C unit and just watched the neighborhood he lived in. The Narrows, home to the filth of Gotham. The trash of the city, paying what they could afford to live in the shitty side of town.

He was feeling antsy, like a caged animal. He had worked so hard to keep mostly under the radar. He was being good, _so_ good. The payoff was just a few days away. He just had to make it a few more days. It had been torture holding back the worst of his urges.

He used to spend the small amount of free time making bombs. That was _fun_ but he couldn't do that, the temptation too strong to use those bombs. Joker knew himself better than that. He would have not only blown up a building, but blown his cover as well. _That_ would not do.

He figured that lack of freedom is what had pushed him closer to _her_. His mind had been preoccupied with thoughts of her. Wondering what she was doing when she was not with him. Brain flashing pictures of her sweaty naked body under him at the most random times. He had been getting used to working, sporting a hard on.

He was not some randy teenage boy, he was The Joker. He didn't have _those_ kinds of distractions. But not letting himself be the Joker let other parts free. Right? Yep, he knew that was the problem. After Friday, he would be back to normal, well, normal for him. Until then, what's done was done. The girl had gotten herself under his skin. He would just trap her there.

As if his thought called her, she pulled her car into the back gate. He moved to sit on the edge of the flat roof, watching her movements. She was still so tiny. She had her crazy hair pulled into two Dutch braids. She moved out of his line of sight. He assumed she had moved into the building.

He moved to the door to go back into the building. He stepped inside and down to the bottom of the stairs. This gave him a slightly obscured view of her door. He could hear her humming something. She moved to her door, unlocked it and went inside. He frowned as Punch followed her. That dog was useless.

He walked over to her open door and stepped inside. The dog noticed him immediately and moved to whine for attention. Joker knelt down and scratched and petted the traitorous mutt. When he stood again, _she_ was watching him.

"Where were you? I checked your place." She asked.

"Up top." He said pointing up.

"I fed your beast downstairs." She said as she walked into her room. He watched her kick off her heels, causing her to lose a few more inches. She picked up the heels and walked into her closet. Joker smiled knowing she never said anything about him messing up her perfect little system.

"I got you something." He said.

He laughed as her head poked out of the closet to look at him. Her eyes traveled up and down his form.

"Where is it?" she asked.

"Not _here_."

"Okay." She said moving out of the closet, dressed in her skimpy night clothes. "When do I get it?" she asked as she walked back into the room with him.

"Thursday."

He smiled as she pouted. Her bottom lip pushed out like a child. He couldn't help it, he reached up and pinched it.

"Ouch, what was that for?" she asked rubbing the now slightly swollen lip.

He shrugged.

"Why Thursday?" she asked changing the subject, knowing he wouldn't elaborate.

"_Because_, that's when it will be ready." He said.

He watched her try to figure out what it could be. The confusion was hilarious.

"I can tell you what it is, if you just can't wait, but you still won't be ready until Thursday." He said chuckling at her.

"Yes please." She said grinning widely.

He pulled out his phone, going to the saved pictures he had. He pulled up the large view of the property, handing her the phone.

She froze, her eyes scanning the screen. She looked up to his face, a strange look on her own.

"You, you bought me a house?"

"Yep, figured, uh, you and the kids." he pointed to Punch. "Needed a yard and space." He said. He didn't mention that he thought someone may be on to them living here.

"You bought me a house." She repeated.

She handed him back his phone. Her face looked odd. Slightly flushed, almost panicked.

He was the one confused now. She seemed so keen on playing house with him, he thought she'd like this.

"You don't like it?"

She looked up at him like he was the crazy one.

"I love it. It's just, it's a house. That's crazy." She said laughing.

"_Okay_, well you should probably start packing what you want to take with you." He said turning to leave, still confused about her conflicting reactions.

Her hands grabbed his shoulders. He forced them to relax, allowing her to turn him to face her. He hated her familiarity with him. He was still getting used to someone feeling confident enough to touch him. He swallowed down that bit of rage.

"_Yes?" _He practically hissed out at her.

"We will live there, together right?" She asked, cheeks flushed pink.

"For such a _smart_ girl, you really are Looney Tunes." He said flicking the end of her nose.

He breathed in a large breath, letting the air out slowly. He decided to be completely clear about all of it just this once. Well as clear as he could be.

"Peach, I know you are smart enough to know that being so close to me is _dangerous_." he paused. "My enemies are ruthless, my men are criminals, and I am not always the, um, _nicest_ when you've got my attention." He watched her fight a smirk.

"For some unearthly reason you have chosen to _attach_ yourself to me. You lost the chance to get rid of me when you accosted me with your _bat_."

She stood still, watching him with large eyes and a blank expression.

He continued. "_You_ are mine, it's gone too far. I tried to push you away, and you just wouldn't go. I'm not fighting it anymore, _now_ the only way out is death. Yours, mine, or _ours_." He said.

He looked up and saw the dopiest grin across her face. He should have kept his mouth shut.

"_What_?" he asked.

She blinked, "You _love_ me." She said, the grin returning.

He scoffed aloud. "I did _NOT_ say that."

"It's okay, you don't have to say it out loud if you don't want to. But it's like you just said, I am not stupid."

"No, just fucking _insane_." He said mostly to himself.

"I didn't catch that, did you say something?" she asked.

He moved close to her, face close to hers. "I _like_ you. I _hate_ you. I like to hurt you. I _love_ when you hurt me. I like the way you touch me. I hate the way you touch me. You make me feel all sorts of _things_." He confessed.

"There is a _thin_ line between love and hate." She said grinning like a lovesick fool.

Joker just shrugged. What else could he do or say.

She put her small hand on his chest. "I told you I wouldn't push you. I meant it. Thank you for getting us a home." She smiled.

He felt that uncomfortable feeling in his stomach looking at that soft smile and sickly sweet words. He reacted on sheer impulse. He put his hand on her face and shoved her back a few feet.

"Just pack." He said as he walked out of her door and down the stairs. He moved into the small kitchen of his place and sat at the table. He could heat her stomping around above him. He assumed that meant she was doing as he asked and packing her things. Suddenly he could hear her voice, though it was muffled too much to hear what she was saying.

He heard her move down the stairs and stop at his door. She had changed back into her work clothes.

"I gotta go take care of some club business, it could get messy. Want to come?" she asked.

She had his attention. "How messy?" he asked.

"Extremely." She said grinning.

He moved to grab his things, his gun in his waistband, knives in his pockets. He walked over to her.

"We can take my car, you drive." He handed her the keys.

They drove to a small building, two or three blocks from the titty bar. Peach parked the car and got out, putting the keys in her pocket. Joker followed, moving with her to a large metal door in the side of this building. The room they stepped into was dimly lit. It took almost a full minute for his eyes to adjust.

They moved down a short hallway and into a larger room. Joker recognized the stench of old human decay. It was layered under a lemony smell of whatever shitty cleaner they used. The sweeter stench of death was one you never forgot once you smell it.

He was now wondering about his girl again. Maybe he had been too _hasty_ in his judgement of her. The businesswoman front was maybe just that, a front. Maybe she really was a monster inside, like him. He continued to follow her tiny frame, the thought that she was just as sick inside sent a thrill up his spine.

They moved into a smaller room it had a door on two opposite walls. One of her muscle bound morons stood in front of the door to the left. Joker watched his expression, noticing a slight down turn to his mouth. Did no one like him? _Sheesh_. What does a clown have to do to make people smile?

"He's inside, Ma'am."

"Thanks." She moved to the door, waiting for her guy to open it for them. The large man leaned over and opened the door. Peach stepped through and Joker followed. They stepped into a room that could have been a kitchen, but Joker didn't think _that_ was it. He looked around.

The entire room was tiled. A large watering system was on the ceiling. There was a medium sized drain at the lowest point of the slanted floor. Maybe an old butcher shop. That seemed more likely, especially for this part of town.

A man was lying on the floor hands bound behind him, his legs free. His face looked scratched up and was starting to bruise from a few good hits to the jaw. Joker watched as Peach walked over to the prone figure.

She pulled her high heeled foot back and kicked him in his exposed belly. The man vomited from the impact.

"Wakey, wakey." She said.

The man groaned, eyes opened. Joker watched while Peach squatted down and grabbed a fist full of the man's hair, yanking his head back sharply. Joker could feel the level of potential violence. It thrummed through him, the anticipation of this man's pain making his fingertips itch to get in on the fun. He restrained himself. This was _her_ show.

"Stand up, asshole." She said, her face inches from his.

"Fuck you." He groaned out.

"Not a chance." She said, reaching into his pocket pulling out his wallet.

"Charles Liddle." She tossed his wallet to the side. "So Chuck, does it make you feel like a tough guy to beat up women?" she asked. Her voice soft and kind.

Chuck didn't speak, but he did _spit_ at her. Joker saw red instantly, barely able to hold himself back. .

"That was rude." She said, grabbing his shirt to wipe the spit from her leg.

Joker watched as she walked back over to him. Chuck's gaze followed. When he saw Joker, he began to struggle. Joker watched the man, gauging his reaction as Peach walked up to him. She reached up and kissed Joker. He let her make her little power play, but his eyes stayed locked on poor ole Chuck.

She stepped back and smile up at him. His red paint smeared across her pretty mouth. "Do me a favor and cut his hands free?" she asked.

"Sure thing, Peach." He said.

He walked over to the squirming man and knelt down and put his knee in the man's back. Pulling his knife from his pocket, he leaned down to talk to the man.

"Hold still, I wouldn't want to cut you, _accidentally_." He laughed. The man under him looked ready to piss himself.

He cut the binds and the man's hands fell to his side. They would probably be useless for a few minutes. Joker stood and walked back over to Peach, offering her his knife.

"Thanks babe." She said, her voice having a ridiculously cartoonish sound to it. It was absolutely hilarious, he _really_ liked this side of her.

Chuck slowly stood, body trembling slightly.

"Listen, I will pay for slapping around the whore. Let's just forget about all of this.

Peach laughed. "Slapping around the whore? She's got two broken ribs, a black eye and broken nose." She scoffed. "That's a bit more than slapping around."

"Okay I get it, I will pay for her medical bills and triple what the room rate was."

She tapped her chin, with Joker's very sharp knife, like she was actually considering his offer.

"I agree, you will pay. I have a reputation to keep, and letting a lowlife like you, _Chuck_, beat up one of my girls, it sends the wrong message." She stepped forward.

Chuck looked at her, then at the Joker, back at her. He relaxed a bit, thinking he might survive this. Chuck realized the Joker wasn't in charge here, just the girl. A tiny girl.

Joker watched Peach kick off her shoes, and set them on a small counter that lined one wall. She walked a few steps towards Chuck, still smiling.

"I'll make you a deal, Chuck. If you can survive one hour in here, with me, _I_ will let you go, no harm no foul."

Joker loved this, the man was as good as dead. He watched Chuck, as he thought about the deal.

"Just you?" Chuck asked, eyes darting to Joker and back.

"Just me." She said. "He won't lay a hand on you during the hour."

Joker chuckled, he liked how she had worded that one.

"Deal."

"Babe, he gets one hour, what time is it?" she asked Joker in that same sweet tone.

Joker smacked his lips as he checked his watch. "10:26."

"Okay he's off limits until 11:26." She said to Joker.

"Copy that." He said sending a mock solute her way.

Chuck let out a strange laugh and lunged forward. Peach sidestepped his attack and brought her hand up. He stumbled forward, barely catching himself. The knife in her hand was tinted red. She had cut him.

Chuck cursed, she had caught him along his ribs. The knife was one of Joker's favorite knives. It was so sharp it would cut through almost anything.

"Point for me." She laughed.

The man moved fast, his fist connecting with her stomach. Joker watched as she doubled over at the waist. He had mixed feelings about this. While he loved a good fight, he didn't like someone _else_ to hurt his girl. Her pain was reserved for him.

She straightened up and looked Chuck in his eye, "Now we can play."


	20. Chapter 20

**A/N: this was a fast moving chapter that I typed on the fly. I decided to keep it because, well...I liked it...Enjoy :)**

* * *

_~What do you see? When you look at me?_

_Don't cover my scars, let them bleed,_

_Tell me, is this how it's supposed to be?_

_Well then I'm so, I'm so happy.._

_And we don't need rehab...~_

_~Machine Gun Kelly~_

* * *

Joker watched as Peach teased the poor sap. She would let him think she was hurt or that he could land a punch, then she would attack. Then she would back off and let him build up a bit of confidence. Then once again shatter it with a brutal efficiency. He was bleeding lightly from several small cut she had given him.

Joker had kept to his word, he had stayed out of it. It was hard to watch him touch her. Chuck didn't deserve the pleasure. But she wanted to play and Joker like watching her, uh, _work_. Joker checked his watch. Chuck had just under 15 minutes left.

Chuck was getting tired, Peach was a smart and deadly girl. She knew she was small and she used it to her advantage. She was quick. Joker knew from experience she'd gotten the drop on him a few times. He liked that she had no problems taking a cheap shot, he smiled at the memories of their little spats. He watched her, the flash of silver as she swung the knife, the ooze of blood spreading across Chuck's shirt. It was a beautiful dance.

The sound of metal hitting the floor drew Joker's attention. Two thoughts came to him, he was unsure which one disturbed him more. One, the sound meant she was weaponless. Two, he didn't like his knives to be thrown around so recklessly. He watched intently, as Chuck lunged forward across the floor for the knife and got it. Now Joker really _didn't_ like that at all. He checked his watch. _Damn_ Chuck had six and a half minutes left.

Joker watched as Chuck circled her, Peach keeping her back away from the man. Chuck lunged at his girl. Peach ducked and almost cleared him. He grabbed her by one of her braids. Joker saw red, he would shave her damned head if she ended up hurt because of the long tresses. Her body jerked backwards, her back hitting the ground pretty hard. Chuck stood over her, his foot on the stupid braid, holding her down.

Joker checked his watch again, 2 minutes. He knew if the man tried to actually kill her he would step in, but he wanted her to win her way. Chuck leaned down and was saying something to her, his face close to hers. Joker watched the seconds tick by. He looked up from his watch to see her spit in Chuck's face. The man started to cut a small line on her shoulder. She refused to make a sound. _Good girl_, Joker looked at his watch again.

He reached into his pocket and got his _second_ favorite knife. Holding it close to his leg, tapping down the seconds. He could see the line of the small cut, the blood looking so dark against her skin. Chuck stood a smile on his face like he had accomplished something and kicked Peach in the side. Joker watched the time 5…4…3…2…He threw the knife, it landed with a thud in Chucks shoulder causing Joker's other knife to fall from the man's hand.

"Time's up kiddos." He said walking up to the man.

"You did good Chuckie boy, I guess you are free to go." Peach said from the ground as Joker grabbed his knife, turning it as he pulled it from the man's shoulder.

The roar of pain echoed in the tiled room. Joker stood, after wiping the knife off on Chuck's shirt. Peach was standing now, holding her ribs as a line of blood trailed down her arm. Joker touched the quickly bruising area on her ribs, trying not to look at the crimson mess of her shirt. Peach let out a whimper. Joker felt a rush of different emotions. Hs brain confusing it all. The whimper he liked, the bruises, not so much.

Chuck was pulling himself up and Joker moved quickly. He landed a kick to the man's ribs. Chuck cried out in pain as he fell, landing on his bleeding shoulder.

"She said I was free to go." Chuck gasped out.

"She did." Joker agreed. "You fought bravely. The only problem _now_ is you hurt my girl. You pulled her hair like a _child_, then marked her skin. That wasn't very smart of you, _Chuck_."

The man was blubbering. Joker turned to Peach. "Well, doll, what should his punishment be?" he asked.

Her face was blank, she was stone cold crazy right now and Joker fucking loved it. His red paint still slightly smeared on her face added to the aura of insanity. She blinked, once, twice, then turned to face Joker.

"String him up for me, please." She said in the sweetest voice.

"_Anything_ for you." He said as he moved to the door.

Joker opened the door and asked the goon to bring him some rope. The man was gone and back in a few minutes. Joker was sure they had this all on hand. This must happen often. If running the bar was this much fun, maybe he should help her after all. He ducked back into the room and smiled as he saw Peach squatted down.

She was whispering something in Chuck's ear that was causing the man to cry. Full blown fat tears washing a clean line down his cheek through the blood. Joker knew she was brutal, but had no idea how beautiful the sight could be until now.

He moved back over and pulled the man back to his feet. He tied Chuck's hands together then moved him towards a hanging meat hook. He lifted his hands up hooked it to the metal piece. Chuck had to stand almost on his toes to keep his weight off his shoulders.

Joker turned and walked back to his girl. She had that blank look again. He squinted at her, he didn't want her to go into shock and miss having fun. She noticed his look and smiled up at him. He reached forward and grabbed her by her delicate neck, his hand clenching slightly on it. She let him pull her up to him.

"You good?" he asked.

She smiled. "Perfect." She said.

Joker kept his eyes locked on hers and kissed her. When he pulled away she laughed.

"He's ready for you." He said letting her go.

"Thanks babe." She said. "I need your knife again." She said eyes now locked on Chuck.

Joker handed her the knife she had used before. She took it and walked over to the hanging man. Peach laid the knife flat on the crying man's cheek.

"You are pathetic, you like to beat on helpless girls. You only got a lucky shot on me because you pulled my hair." She moved the knife.

Chuck let out a sob. "I'm sorry, please, please I'm sorry."

Peach looked at the man and tsked. "Too little, too late Chuckie."

She used the knife to cut the front of his shirt wide open. Chuck's crying got louder. Joker was embarrassed for the shmuck. If you were gonna be tortured, at least take it like a man.

She cut him, she mutilated the man's chest with dozens of cuts, similar in size to the one he had put on her shoulder. Joker watched as she moved behind Chuck, who had thankfully stopped blubbering. She started to cut his back as well. The flow of blood was steady down the man's body. It had finally bled through his clothes and was starting to drip onto the tile floor.

Peach walked over to Joker and handed him his knife, which she had wiped clean. At least superficially, he would clean it properly later. She reached up to move her hair from her face when Joker grabbed her forearm. He pulled her hand in front of her face. She was covered in the man's blood from fingertips to just below her elbow.

He used his other hand to pull the wild mess of curls out of her face. She had a dazed and sparkling look in her eyes. She had enjoyed that immensely. Joker smiled.

"Got a place to clean up?" he asked.

She nodded, "Follow me."

She led them out of the door, letting her man at the door know to cut Chuck free and drop him somewhere to get help. Joker followed her down a different hallway and into a small doorway. The room was dark and a bit chilly.

The lights blared to life and blinded Joker temporarily. He blinked away the pain and looked around. It looked like a small locker room. He felt like he should be bragging about winning the homecoming game or some other mundane bullshit. He chuckled to himself.

"There won't be a lot of hot water so if you want to clean up, get in here." He heard Peach tell him.

He moved to the small doorway and looked into the shower area. It reminded him of his time at Arkham. It was only a singular stall but the privacy wall was there. He shook the memories of cold, high pressure showers away and started to strip down.

Peach was already naked and moving to the shower head to turn on the water. Joker was stripped down in record time. He couldn't explain it and refused to try, but he had the urge to be in there with her. He wasn't even that bloody for the whole ordeal.

He moved behind the privacy wall and over to where the water started to shoot out of the large shower. It was far from the pressurized spray at the nut house. This was like standing in the rain. He watched as she let the water envelope her. The water falling away in pink tinted rivers down her pale skin.

He watched as the lines of the water, traveled down. He closed his eyes. This was not the time to get carried away with all of the shit she caused to stir inside him. He mentally checked himself. Just shower and go.

He opened his eyes again and she was shampooing her hair. The suds sliding through the wet strands. He felt the urge to help her. He buried his hands in the soapy mess and moved his fingertips along her scalp. She closed her eyes, enjoying the sensation.

Joker watched her face tilted up towards his as he continued to wash her hair. She moaned and he nearly lost himself. He rinsed her hair clean and she motioned to the conditioner. He sighed. He worked the condition through her hair, still watching her face. Her eyes flashed open and she surprised him. Her hand, very slick with conditioner, grabbed his dick.

He stilled his hands in her hair. She moved her hand along the length of him. Earning a small growl from him as she did. Her hand continued the slow torturous movements. He gripped her hair, hands near the roots. Her face was already looking up to his.

He looked at her, the mischievous twinkle in her gaze. She wanted to play, he could play. He moved her back to the wall, hands releasing her hair and moving down grab her thighs to lift her up. He was suddenly buried deep inside her, pinning her to the cold tile, she gasped as her hot flesh touch it.

She wrapped her arms around his neck, she buried her hands in his hair, pulling his face to hers. She attacked his mouth with lips and teeth. He continued to move inside her, each thrust causing her to make a small squeak like sound in her throat. She continued to dominate the kiss, Joker liked it.

She had her thighs wrapped around his waist, their bodies' slick under the water. She caught him off guard again as she pulled away from the kiss. She had her head back, making all kind of sounds that pushed Joker even further. He was so close to his release, when she screamed out her own. Her tight little cunt squeezing him so perfectly.

He moved his face to her neck, just where it met her shoulder. He couldn't help it, the thought of someone else marking her skin drove him to bite into the flesh as he spilled inside her. The coppery taste of her blood was thrilling. His legs felt weak and he slid them both down onto the floor.

The water in the shower was now barely luke-warm. They hurried under it and finished her hair. Joker didn't bother with his. As they hurried to dry off, Joker noticed her shirt was filthy, he gave her his, just throwing his hoodie on. They left, Joker ignoring the same man from the door, and the death glare he was getting from the brute. These men had no respect.

They drove home in silence. Once back at the apartment, they crawled into bed. Peach still wore his shirt. He realized he liked that. The thought made him sick to his stomach. He turned away from her, she snuggled up to his back. He sighed, but fell asleep quiet easily.

Morning came too soon, Joker pulled himself from bed and looked around. He was slightly confused as to why he smelled like coconut, then remembered the shower. He got up quickly and took his own shower, Alone. Once he smelled like himself again, he could think a bit clearer. He had a lot to do in the two days leading up to the big Party.

He looked for his keys and found them, with a note from Peach. He opened the note and frowned.

~_Love You_~

He moved to toss the paper in the rubbish bin, but stopped. He hated himself as he put it in his back pocket. He moved to leave, dogs following closely behind him. He wanted to get the small bit of business done quickly. He was feeling antsy. While he had fun watching Peach do her thing, he needed his own needs met. He had urges as well. He laughed at how silly it all sounded.

He drove to the warehouse and moved straight to his office. The dogs were sitting next to his desk, playing around with each other. He was deep in thought when Ace knocked on his door.

"Boss?" he asked through the door.

"Come in." he said.

The door opened and Ace came through with food. Joker perked up instantly. Food was good, he needed to fuel up before the big show. Ace set Chinese take out on the table and three cans of soda.

"Ace, my man, I need your help tonight." Joker said, slurping up the Lo Mein noodles.

"Sure boss, what's the job?"

"No, it's not a job, its, uh, _personal_. I just need you to bring by one of the vans and drop it off at my place, you can drive my car back." He said.

Ace looked at him confused but agreed with no questions.

"You know Ace, I think you need a raise." The bigger man laughed.

"You pay me well enough boss. There's no need." He said.

Joker laughed. "Fair enough. After Friday, maybe you should take a vacation, relax before we really start to _really_ terrorize the city." He said, taking a big drink from one of the cans.

"I'd have to talk to the missus about it." He said.

Joker was lost. "You're married?" Joker had received a lot of surprises the last few days, but this one was, well crazy.

"Four years, next month." He said.

Joker didn't say anything. People in their line of work didn't get _married_. The job was just too dangerous. Joker couldn't imagine the type of woman who would be okay being married to guys like them. He knew it was a lie as soon as he thought it. He _did_ know one.

His stomach knotted up. He pushed the food away and chugged the last of the first soda. Would she start bugging him about getting married? He felt, what he assumed was panic flood his system. He was the dolt who had just bought her a house. Of course she would be wanting to move it along.

She would want to get married and what comes next? Kids. The thought made him nauseous. Would she be begging him for a couple of little clown babies? He was working himself into a panic.

"Boss, you okay?" Ace asked, but his voice sounded distant.

Joker mentally slapped himself. Ace watched as the Joker's entire demeanor changed.

"Fan-_fucking_-tastic." He said with a straight face.

Ace stood, "I'll be by later to drop off the van, just leave your keys in the car." He said leaving the room quickly.

Ace wasn't sure what had just happened, but he was slightly worried. He moved as far away as he could. Ace pulled his phone and texted Peach. "Boss was acting strange." He didn't wait for a reply, he just got back to work.

Joker was still standing in his office. He was over reacting. The girl had never brought up any kind of nonsense about any of it. He had to leave, he needed space. He drive like a madman back to his apartment. He got out of his small car and tossed the keys in the seat. He and the dogs moved into the building and he went straight to the roof.

He walked to the edge, stepping up on the raised ledge. The air moved around him, the wind gusts swaying his body. He almost felt like he was flying. He closed his eyes. He could breathe again.


	21. Chapter 21

**A/N: Okay, we are getting close to the end of this story. I am not sure if I will write a sequel or not. Depends if the writing bug bites again. **

* * *

_~ Suddenly, I believe you are the one for me _

_Graciously you move through my closed heart's artery _

_Can I escape with my blue fallen reverie? _

_Why can't it all be true? _

_Why can't it all be true?~_

_~Serj Tankian~_

* * *

By the time Peach had made it home, Joker had gotten over his panic attack and even packed all of his important things. He would of course leave a small emergency stash as always. He tucked the bit of cash, a burner phone and the charger in a pop-tart box and put it back under the floorboard.

Joker was getting the dogs fed and watered when Peach found him.

"What time tomorrow do I get my gift?" she asked.

"First thing in the morning." He said without turning to her.

He was sitting on the floor, playing with Punch. Judy was lying next to him, watching Peach stand in the doorway. Joker would reach over and stroke her fur. Peach watched, feeling amused that the devil dog only liked Joker. They were kindred spirits.

"I saw the van in the back." She said.

"Good."

She narrowed her eyes at him. He was being short with her and she was unsure why. Ace had texted he was acting strange, she turned to leave the room, figuring it was nerves from the moving.

Joker let out a breath. He had become too complacent with her touchy feely attitude. He needed to get a bit of himself back before she devoured him completely. He pushed Punch away and stood. The dogs stayed in their room. Joker was feeling impatient, he wanted to go. He started to load up the van, his things all packed in black garbage bags. He tossed them in the back. All except his suit, _that_ was hung up neatly. His room looked sparse again. It was _odd_. He moved upstairs and started grabbing all of Peach's boxes and plastic bins of junk. He placed them gently in the van.

She was getting out of the shower when he came back for the last of it all. She was in her room, digging through a duffel bag, wearing a towel. He stood, holding the small plastic tote box. She started to dress, and Joker couldn't force himself to look away. He didn't think watching someone get dressed would be so _enticing_. She turned when she was finished and caught him watching her. She was startled at first, then a smile crept along her face.

She walked over and closed the door to her bedroom. The click of the lock spurred him back to moving. Oh, how he hated her. He looked at his watch. It was almost 4:00 AM. His lawyer had given him the gate code, and had told him the keys would be in the mailbox by the gate, same code. It was all very high tech. Joker laughed at the thought.

Codes were _useless_ against explosives. But this was a classy part of town. Joker himself, would _probably_ be the only one making explosives in his neighborhood. He liked that idea. He knocked on Peach's door.

"Let's go." He said then turned to head down to get the dogs.

She was out and locking the door. She took Punch in her car and Joker kept Judy with him. Joker had the directions and led the way to their new place. It was pretty far out there. It was almost an hour drive, and they had to stop to let the dogs piss and for Peach to get gas in her car.

It was almost 6:00 am when they finally pulled up to the gates of the new house. It was huge. Joker put in the gate code, watching the thing open as he got the keys out of the locked mailbox. He pulled the van up the long driveway that curved in front of the porch.

Joker parked the van and moved up to unlock the door. Judy and Punch had taken off to check out the yard. It was all fenced in, he let them run. Peach stepped up next to him and opened the door. She stepped into the place and let out a squeal. Joker hadn't ever heard her make a sound like _that_.

He stepped inside and looked around. There was a mostly furnished house. They were in an entryway that led into a large room. There was a fireplace and the ceiling had a hideous chandelier. Joker rolled his eyes at the waste of money. He watched her, his girl, moving all over. She looked at everything, smiling or frowning. Joker knew she was already planning what to keep and what to change.

They moved to the stairs, there was a _lot_ of stairs. Joker followed her up. There was four doors along the wall. She opened the first door. It was a large office, the shelves were empty but there was still a desk and chair. Behind the chair was a large window with the curtains drawn.

She turned to him. "Did you need an office?" she asked.

He shrugged, not trusting himself to talk to her. She laughed and skipped to the next door. She opened it and stepped in. She had to flip the light switch on. It was a large bedroom. She walked over to the stripped bed. The mattress bare, looking wrong in the dark colored room.

She moved to the other end of the room and opened the door there. It was a large bathroom. It had its own Jacuzzi tub and a stand-alone shower. Joker rubbed his tired eyes. This was going to take forever. He watched her check every door and open curtains as the sun was rising.

The next door was another bedroom, a bit smaller than the first one. They moved to the last door and she opened it. Joker cringed. It was a nursery. The walls painted a buttery yellow, with circus clowns along the border of the wainscoting. He couldn't stop the bark of laughter that escaped him.

Peach turned and smiled. They left the room and headed further around the upper level. There was a door that led to the attic. They decided to leave that for another day. Peach reached over and grabbed his hand, she wove her fingers into his and pulled him back down the stairs. He allowed her this small gesture.

She drug him down the small hallway that led into a massive kitchen. She looked through the cabinets, noting they were mostly bare. She opened the refrigerator and was happy to see there was a bit of basics in there.

She moved through the kitchen to the two doors at one end. One was a large pantry, it was bigger than the bedrooms at the apartment. The other door led into a garage. She stepped down into it. There was room for at least three cars, four if they were small. She turned back and smiled at him. Joker freed his hand and moved away.

He stepped into the garage and out through a small door. They back yard was huge. He looked to the right and saw a small guest house. _That_ was a plus. To the left was a pool. He watched as the dogs were paddling through the water. Punch would climb out, run to the deep end and jump. Judy was just swimming in circles.

Peach moved up behind him and laughed at the sight. He turned to look at her.

"Well?" he said.

She moved around him and pulled his face down towards hers.

"Thank you." She said softly against his mouth, then kissed him.

He let her kiss him, but tried to hold himself back. He had to build that wall again. She was just around too much. She tensed up, she opened her eyes and saw him watching her. She bit him. He grabbed her hair, pulling her head back.

"Enough." He said. Pushing her away.

She stood there pouting. He left her there to it. He opened the garage door and moved outside to the van. He pulled the van into the garage and parked it closest to the door. He left the garage door open for whenever she wanted to move her car inside. Joker had tons to do today to keep himself busy. In just over 24 hours, he would be at the welcome back party he was throwing himself.

He started to move their things into the house. He just piled everything into the entryway, unsure what _she_ had planned. He emptied the van and was feeling too antsy to stay here. He left the still wet dogs to play and explore. He found her still standing in the doorway, watching the mutts run around.

"I'm going to the warehouse, gotta get everything ready for tomorrow. Are you going to bring the toxin back to the warehouse or just deliver it to the park?" he asked.

She turned slowly to face him. Her eyes watery and shining at him. He groaned inwardly. She didn't say a word. She just stood there.

"What?" he asked.

She blinked. The two small tears fell from her eyes. "Nothing." She said and pushed past him.

Joker did not like the angsty bullshit. He was upfront with her. Why would she say nothing when he was sure it was something? Maybe he would wait a bit before going in. He was going to poke and push her until she either, snapped and tried to kill him (He chuckled at that thought) or she would fess up to whatever shit was bothering her.

He followed her into the house, he was at the entryway as she headed up the stairs, having grabbed her damned bat from one of her many boxes. This would be good. He hurried after her. She moved into the first bedroom and started smashing everything into bits. There was a shelf with little glass knick-knacks, gone. She even knocked a few holes in the wall.

Joker stood in the doorway and watched her take out all of her anger out on the poor defenseless room. She smashed everything she could find and stood there chest heaving with exertion. She tossed the bat onto the mattress.

"Feel better?" he asked.

She jumped in surprise. She looked over at him and smiled sweetly. "I'm fine." She said.

"Liar." He spat at her.

He hated that fake calm she hid behind.

"At least I don't lie to myself." She said, turning her back again. She moved to the large window, sliding the thing open and stepping out onto a small balcony, closing it behind her.

Joker walked over to the same window and watched her, she stood there with her eyes closed. He frowned. She was being childish. He could be childish right back. He locked the sliding door. He stormed from the room and back to the van. He was running on no sleep again and was going to kill her if he didn't get away.

He drove to the warehouse, which seemed closer. It wasn't _actually_ closer, it was just mostly highway. He stormed into the building and moved to the office. He had the last minute things to check out. He texted Ace and told him to head to the office ASAP.

He was there, with food, within a half hour. They sat at the desk and went over the last minute details. Things, if they go according to plan, would be interesting. He decided to let Ace in on the entire plan. Incase Ace had to make a judgement call, he would know what Joker was planning on happening. Joker explained about Peach and the new toxin. He reached into his desk and handed Ace a small box.

"That's the antidote, one shot for you, one for your _wife_." Joker almost choked on the word. "Just in case things get out of hand."

Joker figured if his best guy's wife got infected, it could be a bad thing for their working relationship. He would hate to have to kill Ace.

"Thanks boss, but she's going to be out of town for a bit." He said.

"Just give her the shot it works for a few other _toxins_ as well. Trust me, just tell her it's a vitamin shot." Joker told him.

"Thanks." He said again. "Did you get moved into the new place?" Ace asked.

Joker grunted in response.

"So I guess that means it went well?" the man chuckled.

Joker looked at him. "It started good, then she went crazy and destroyed a room." He said.

Ace choked on his food. "Why?"

"Why does that crazy bitch do anything she does?" He growled out.

Ace was silent for a minute then spoke. "She's young." He said.

Joker turned to look at him. Ace shrugged as an afterthought. Joker laughed now. Maybe that _was_ it, she was a _bit_ younger than he was. She had to be what? 20? Maybe. He thought about it, He wasn't _100_% sure.

"Get a hold of her and figure out what she needs for the house and help her get it all." He said, dismissing the man.

Ace stood up to go and handed Joker the keys to his car. Once he was alone, Joker leaned back in his chair and closed his eyes. He tried to think back to when he was younger. He was impulsive to say the least. By the time he had found the girl, he had gotten better control over his vast mood swings. He sighed. He would need to do something to get back on her good side.

Maybe locking her out on the balcony wasn't the _nicest_ thing to do. He leaned forward, letting his head hit the desk, not too lightly. The flash of sparkles moved behind his eyes. She was such a pain in the ass. The fact of the matter was, she was _his_ pain in the ass.

The idea hit him hard, he knew what he had to do. He got up and headed back to the apartment. He drove slowly, he even obeyed a few of the rules of the road. Hell, he even used his blinker _once_. He got to the building and into his old room. It was strange for it to look so barren. He took a hot shower, making sure to get off any grease paint. He put his civilian clothes back on and went to go see his lawer.


	22. Chapter 22

**A/N: I woke up this chilly Monday morning and decided to drop a surprise chapter. There are only (I think) 2 Chapters left of this part of the story. This chapter is dedicated to QueenMarie1345! You definitely keep me motivated...This chapter was a little difficult to write. I probably rewrote it 3 or 4 times. Trying to get the wording right and get my ideas to come through. While I am not 100% happy with the result, I am happy enough to publish it for your eyes. Let me know what you think.**

* * *

_~If you live through this with me,_

_I swear that I would die for you,_

_And if you live through this with me,_

_I swear that I would de for you~_

_~Hole~_

* * *

It was late by the time Joker had made it back to the new house. He pulled his car up the drive and parked it in front of the garage. There was a remote to open the doors, but he hadn't grabbed it before he'd left this morning. He got out and made his way into the dark house.

He walked straight for the stairs, wanting to get this over with before he changed his mind. The entire place was quiet. He noticed the bags and boxes had been moved. He frowned, unsure if she had put everything away or burned it all in a fit of rage. Knowing her, it could go either way.

He walked up the large staircase and headed to their room. He stopped in front of the door and listened for any sound. It was quiet, except for her light snores. He hesitated, an uneasy feeling pushed through his gut. Would she wake up and attack him? Maybe.

He steadied himself and pushed through the door as quietly as possible. Flinching when the metal striker plate scraped along the doorframe. She didn't get up, so that was a good sign. He looked around the still dark room, she had cleaned up her mess. The floor was free of the broken items.

He looked to the bed and could barely make out the shape of her tiny body covered by all of the dark blankets. _Good,_ Ace had helped her get what she needed. He moved further into the room. His feet moved soundlessly on the thick carpeting, as he made his way to her bedside table. He pulled a folded piece of paper out of his pocket and a small box as well.

He set the paper down and the box on top. He hoped she would like the surprise he had gotten her. He had to spend a _bit_ of cash to grease a few palms, but he was almost certain she would like it. He looked at her sleeping form. Just a tiny outline in the blankets. The slow moving of her body as she snored away, was the only movement.

He turned and left the room, flinching again as the sliding metal sound of the door seemed to echo through the house. He moved to the room next door and went inside. He flipped the light switch and seen the still bare room and bed. Empty tubs and boxes were along one wall, guess she had unpacked. He almost felt a bit let down. He shook the feeling away as he stripped down to his t shirt and boxers and collapsed on the bed. He was asleep almost instantly.

Her voice woke him. She was yelling his name out in the hallway. Her feet were slapping through the house, echoing like gunshots. Joker rubbed his still clean face and sat up. He felt a slight bit better. And hey, today was his big day. That thought brightened him up immensely.

He walked over to the door and cracked it open enough to see the stairway. She was coming back up and calling his name. He couldn't tell if she was happy or still pissed. He opened the door enough for her to see him, and she had the dopiest look on her face. She walked over and held the paper in her hand.

"Care to tell me what this is?" she asked.

He looked at the paper and then back at her, "An _apology_."

He turned and walked into the room and she followed. He sat on the edge of the bare mattress and looked at her.

"Well, it's one way to apologize, I guess." She said tossing the paper onto the bed. "What exactly are you apologizing for?" she asked.

He looked at her like she'd grown another head. "_Mostly_ locking you out on the balcony." He confessed and leaned back on the bed, looking for imperfections in the ceiling.

"That wasn't very nice." She agreed. "But that," she pointed at the paper. "Seems like a bit of overkill." She said.

Joker laughed. "If you are gonna do something, do it _big_. Consider it to be a _deposit_ on future activities." He said, making her laugh.

He looked at her face and she was smiling. Then she kissed him. Not their usual rough kiss, but a soft, delicate thing that Joker wasn't sure he liked.

She continued the soft, small kisses, and he let her. Her mouth moving to deepen the kiss, Joker felt as if he was suffocating. Even this kiss was soft. Not the fight for dominance but a soft caress of flesh. He could feel his pulse quicken.

She moved her body over his, her hands soft. She gripped his forearms lightly, as she pulled his bottom lip into her mouth. She released it without the sharp pain of a bite that he had been expecting. His mind felt all confused. This seemed _wrong_, the too soft touches, but his cock seemed to believe differently. It was painfully hard, waiting for her attentions.

She lifted his shirt, he leaned up to help her pull it off of him. Her fingertips moved along his skin. The touch sending shocks to his nerve endings. She moved back to kissing him, then down his jaw and neck. He felt himself growl as she licked the now healed bite mark she had left on him.

He wanted to _grab_ her, he wanted to _hurt_ her then make her feel _good_. He held back, this was for her. He could try nice, _once_. He had almost lost the small amount of control when she nipped him lightly on his nipple. She teased him with small kisses and nips on his many scars.

She reached for his shorts, pulling them off him slowly. She took her time touching and kissing. Joker was not happy that he was starting to enjoy these soft tender touches. He can't ever remember a time he'd done anything like _this_. He had closed his eyes, enjoying the wet kisses she left on his chest and stomach.

His eyes shot open when she wrapped her hot mouth around his cock. His entire body was tense. She held the base of his dick in her hand as she kissed and licked along it. It was too much, he reached for her, pulling her up his body. He kissed her, reminding himself to keep it soft like she had.

She smiled into the kiss. Her hand moved between them and guided him into her eager body. Her movements were slow and confident. She circled her hips, pushing him deeper. He hated that this felt _so_ good. He flipped them. She let out a squeak when she hit the mattress.

He needed to take the control back, if she wanted slow, he could do slow. He would give her what she wanted. She would not get to take it this time. He reached down, pulling her leg up, hooking it around his hip. _Better_, he pushed into her slowly, pulling back out just as slowly. His movements deliberate.

He started into a steady rhythm, each push and pull getting them closer to their completion. She reached up and ran her hands into his hair tugging lightly on the roots. He like that, he kissed her again, a soft kiss, like she had given him earlier.

She locked her eyes on his. He looked into the two different colors, mesmerized by the emotions he could see in them. She started to move with him. The added pressure and movement feeling better than he thought. This soft stuff wasn't _all_ bad. He kept his eyes locked on hers.

The intimacy was almost too much, her stare made him insides feel warm and _strange_. He loved the intensity of it. He loved how she wasn't afraid to stare right into his depraved soul. Maybe he liked that she wasn't afraid of him. Her body clenched around him as her orgasm hit her and she still didn't look away.

He continued moving, pushing through the convulsions of her warm, wet flesh. His own release was almost painful as it pulsed through him. She kissed him then, his body still moving as he finished. His body collapsed onto hers as he continued to kiss her.

He broke away from the kiss, his eyes closed as he touched his forehead to hers. He rolled over onto his back, pulling her to lay across his chest. His breathing was labored, and all he could think was,_ 'what the fuck was that?'_

He opened his eyes and frowned, she was crying. He'd been _good_, he didn't _hurt_ her. He had kept it all soft for _her_. He wiped the tears away. She smiled up at him at the gesture, causing him to frown. She smiled bigger.

"What?" she asked.

"You're crying." He said flatly.

She laughed now, the tears just causing her eyes to look bright and shiny.

"Can't a woman cry on her wedding day?" she asked.

Joker laughed now, the entire absurd situation actually hitting him.

"Well the paperwork hasn't been filed _yet_." He looked at his watch. "We have two hours until its legal and _binding_." He said.

"How on earth did you get this done?" she asked, snuggling her skin against his.

"You'd be _amazed_ what you can get done with cash and the threat of violence." He said.

"And how did you find out my real name?" she asked, looking away from him.

"Ace told me." He said, his hand drawing the letters of her name on her back. Joker had to admit it was a pretty name, but she would always be Peach.

"I forgot he knew it, I might have to kill him." She joked.

"_Maybe_." He said, causing her to slap his chest. "Do you forgive me?" he asked.

"I was never angry." She said.

"The room might feel differently." He said.

"I got it all out. I just had to breathe for a minute. Then you locked me out."

"You accepted the apology, it's done." He said.

Joker got up, this was all feeling too normal for his taste. He needed to get ready anyway. He stood up and stretched his body. Peach stood and kissed his cheek, then moved to their room. Joker followed her, unsure where all of his things were.

He stepped into the other room and looked around. He walked to the closet and there was his suit, hanging in the dry cleaning bag. He pulled it out and moved back to the second bedroom to use the other shower. He smelled like her, and that would not do.

He showered and got dressed. He was feeling almost back to his old self. He assumed she would have put his grease paint in the other bathroom. He moved back to the other room, she was drying off from her shower. He moved past her and into the bathroom.

"Suit looks nice." She said from the bedroom.

"Thanks." He said as he was digging through the drawers to find the greasepaint.

He finally found them in the bottom of the drawer. He pulled the tins out and moved to grab a dry towel to clean the last of the fog off of the mirror. He tossed the towel to the side and noticed Peach was standing in the door.

He turned to look at her. He was speechless. She was standing in front of him, her hair pulled into her usual pigtails, starting to curl up as it dried. She had a black coat with tails, over a hot pink corset and a hot pink and lime green tutu. Her legs had hot pink fish nets and her lime green high top shoes. She looked like a neon ringmaster from some fucked up circus.

Joker smiled "I like the new look." He said turning back to the mirror.

"You need help?" she asked.

"_No_."

She pushed him out of the way and grabbed the first tin of paint. He allows her to move him where she needs him. She starts painting his face. He closed his eyes. It's not like he can ever stop her from doing anything.

"All done." She said.

Joker looked at his reflection, not bad.

"Thanks." He says again.

"Will you do mine?" she asked.

He didn't reply, he just started to work. He couldn't just slop it on like he did with his own. He wanted to make her look beautiful. She watched him as he worked. She kept smiling. He had to scolding her, like a child to stop. He was finally done, he made it look similar to when he'd painted her face before.

"Thanks babe." She said rubbing her lips together like she had applied lipstick.

He looked at his watch. They had to get moving, so much to do. They needed to get to the ware house. They took her car, it had dark tinted windows, Joker driving. He did enjoy the speed. He pulled the car into the lot and looked at the madness.

They made their way inside, Peach heading one way, Joker heading to look for Ace. The men moved out of his way, eyes averted. Joker smiled as he searched. He finally found him in the bunk room. He looked like he had just woke up.

"You good?"

"Yeah Boss, just didn't sleep well. That shot I took had me hallucinating."

That surprised Joker. He wondered if Peach had had any hallucinations when he gave her the shot. He'd have to try to remember to ask her.

"_Whoops_." He said shrugging.

Ace got up and they moved into the main area of the warehouse. Joker moved to stand on the small coffee table.

"Okay boys, today is the big day. Once the party is in full swing, you will get the signal. That's when the real fun begins."

The men cheered, Joker cringed. These men were morons. He looked at his watch again and moved down from the table. He looked around, searching for Peach. He found her standing off to the side, watching the men get ready. After Joker's warning from before the guys had kept to themselves, but her outfit scared them from even looking at her.

That was good, Joker hadn't tied himself to this girl for the other men to ogle her. He moved to stand next to her. Her face lit up when she saw him.

"Not giving a big speech?" She asked.

"My _brilliance_ would be wasted here. I am saving my big monolog for the grand finale." He said poking her cheek.

She slapped his hand away playfully. "Work first, play later." She said.

"Yes ma'am." Joker could appreciate her work ethic.

She moved and kissed him quickly. He kissed her back. He excused the small action with _'all work and no play makes Joker a dull boy.'_

She pulled away and smiled, before skipping her way down to the play room. Oh how he wanted to follow her, but there was time for that later. Once she was out of sight, Joker was back to business.


	23. Chapter 23

**A/N: I believe there will be only one more chapter after this one. I feel like I am sending my baby off to school for the first time. Can separation anxiety be felt towards stories too?**

* * *

_~And I scream, "For whatever it's worth_

_I love you, ain't that the worst thing you ever heard?"_

_He looks up, grinning like a devil~_

_~Taylor Swift~_

* * *

The men were headed to the vans, Joker watched as Ace barked orders and the men obeyed. Joker moved up beside him.

"We are about ready boss."

"Good, this is going to be the _best_ party." Joker said.

"Boss, can I ask you a question?"

"Sure."

"Are you killing everyone at the party?"

"That's a fair question." Joker paused, "At first, yea that was the plan. Then, the _strangest_ thing happened, Peach gave me a _better_ idea. Instead, I'm gonna drive them all mad. Whatever they do after that means very little to me." he said waving off the whole idea.

Ace was silent.

"_What_?" Joker asked.

"So, I heard from a little bird, that you, um, jumped the broom." he said.

Joker eyed the man, "Well, I couldn't let _you_ have all the fun, now could I?"

Ace laughed very loudly at that. "You are funny Boss."

Joker smiled. "I know."

Ace laughed harder.

Joker frowned at the man. "I'm not _that_ funny."

Ace finally got control of himself. Joker watched the man unsure where this conversation was headed.

"Did she seem happy?" Ace asked.

Joker was almost insulted. "Of course _she_ was happy, she landed Gotham's most eligible bachelor." he straightened his tie and coat.

Ace lost it again. He was still chuckling when Peach walked up.

"What's so funny?" she asked.

Ace looked at her, then to Joker. "Nothing." he said, walking away.

Peach turned to look at Joker. "We ready to go?" She asked.

Joker smiled, "Yea doll, let's go. We have to be ready and hidden before the crowd arrives." Joker grabbed her hand and pulled her along.

They got to the car and drove towards Amusement Mile. Joker could feel the excitement starting to build. He could almost taste it on his tongue.

"What were you and Ace laughing at?" She asked breaking the silence.

Joker looked over at her, "I confirmed to Ace that we got hitched." he said.

She was quiet for a minute, "And he was laughing?" She asked, looking almost hurt.

"_No_, he was laughing at me, _apparently_, I'm hilarious." he grumbled.

She stayed quiet, Joker looked over at her again. She was twisting the ring he'd given her around her finger. He frowned, she was _never_ this quiet.

"Why did you marry me?" she asked suddenly, breaking the uncomfortable silence with the awkward question.

He would never understand women. This one was _particularly_ frustrating. Joker pulled the car over, cutting off a few cars, parking it on the shoulder of the highway. She was watching him, her eyes large, almost frightened. He turned to look at her.

"_Because_...I wanted to. I told you already, days ago, Til death. Now everyone else will know it too."

She looked up and was smiling. He hated it.

"I love you too." she said.

Joker sighed, "That's not-" she cut him off with a kiss.

It was soft like the kisses earlier. He still wasn't sure if he liked the soft touches. Then, she bit him, Hard. He growled against her mouth. She was so fucking perfect. He kissed her back, just as harshly. She pulled away.

"Let's go." she said.

Joker could strangle her right now. He might regret it, one day. He moved, adjusting himself. He pulled the car back into traffic, speeding towards the park.

They arrived at the employee entrance and snuck in under the large umbrella he held. They checked the few last minute things. They rechecked the fireworks. If there was one thing that Joker knew _all_ about, it was explosions.

Everything was in place and the gates were all set to open soon. Full dark would be in a few hours. Then the real party would begin.

Joker had a small trailer set up behind the stage and thankfully it was air conditioned. Once it was show time, he would wait for the fireworks to start and then, Boom, the big show. When the sparkles stopped, all eyes would be on him.

He was pacing the small trailer. He checked the window and saw the sun starting to set. It wouldn't be long. He could hear the people outside, their excited voices. The adrenaline started to pump through his veins. He looked at Peach, she was watched the small security monitors that lined a table in the small kitchen.

"Sit down." her voice was loud in the small space.

Joker's eyes snapped up to her, she smiled and patted the seat next to her. Joker walked over and set next to her. She moved and started to rub his shoulders. Joker liked this. His muscles were always pulled tight. Her rough messages sent pain shooting down his body. The pain made him feel so alive and focused.

He shrugged her hands off his shoulders and turned to face her. She started to remove her coat, he stopped her.

"Stand up." he said.

She obeyed without a word. She stood in front of him. He looked at her, her lime green hightops and pink fishnets, tucked under the tu-tu.

He reached forward, his hand moving under the pink and green skirt. The fishnets were easy to deal with. He hooked his finger through one of the gaps and gave a quick tug. The threads snapped easily.

"Hey!" she protested.

"I'll buy you more." he said as he reached for his zipper. He pulled his cock from his pants, hard and ready. He reached for her, his hand wrapping around the back of her thigh. He pulled her closer, tugging her down to straddle his lap.

He tensed as her small hand gripped his dick. He reached back under her skirt to pull her panties to the side. She shifted forward, guiding him into her wet heat.

He loved how she felt wrapped around him. He loved how she moved and the looks on her painted face. He pulled the pink cups of her corset down. Her tits bouncing as she moved.

He leaned forward to kiss and bite along her neck and breasts. She sped up the rolling of her hips, hard enough he would bottom out. Causing her to move faster. If she kept this pace, he was going to finish soon, and Joker didn't want to finish with out her. He reached between them and started to circle her clit.

Within minutes, she moaned out her release, her tight cunt gripped around him. The feeling pushed him over that edge.

"Fuck." he barely managed to get out.

"Language." she chided.

He laughed, the sound broken and breathy. Peach lifted herself off of him, readjusting her panties.

She frowned. "I'm gonna be all sticky."

Joker tucked himself back in his pants and laughed. He liked that thought. He was all over her, inside her.

"You'll live." he said getting up from the couch. He felt relaxed and ready to take on the world or at least Gotham. If this was married life, he should have done this ages ago.

Joker laughed at the thought, moving to the window. She stepped up behind him, he looked over to her. With him leaned forward she was actually eye to eye with him.

"It's almost time." he stood up straight.

"Goodie."

He leaned in and kissed her, a small kiss. Her face softened at the touch, he thought she was the most beautiful, and deadly thing alive. She pulled back abruptly.

"I forgot, I got you something." she was rushing around the small trailer.

He watched her bounce around, finally finding the small bag she had brought with her. She had her back to him as she dug into the bag. She tossed the bag aside and turned to face him. Her hand was closed tight and she had that dopey look again. She started to walk back to him.

"Remember the week I was gone?" He nodded. "Well, my mother had died." she paused, taking a deep breathe to clam herself.

Joker had no clue she had found her mother, he had assumed she was dead before he had saved her. He kept silent, letting her gather her thoughts, waiting for the rest.

"I hadn't spoken to her since she left me and my brother outside of a crack house in the Narrows." Joker watched her, she was not comfortable telling him all of this. She stood there pinching her side, trying to control the pain she was feeling. He wanted to help her, but he stayed put. She thought she needed to tell him her story, he would let her tell it.

"After Ace helped me get my birth certificate, I used some of my free time to hunt her down. I needed, well, closure. I was shocked, and kind of pissed when I found her clean and sober." She spat the words like acid. "She had an entire new life, a new husband, but thankfully, no new kids. I might have killed her then and there."

Joker chuckled, causing her to look back at him, a half smile on her face.

"I showed up to her funeral. I stood near the back, I just had to see. Her husband recognized me. Said I looked just like her when they had met. After the service, he let me look through her things, it was mostly useless junk. I didn't want anything to do with her new life. Before I left to come back, he gave me this." She opened her hand.

Joker looked at the small object, trying to decide how he felt about it.

"She had saved it for my brother. It was my dad's, and since my brother is long gone, I want you to have it." She held the wide, white gold ring up into the light. "It kind of matches the ring you got me." she held it up to her ring finger.

Joker felt panic run through him. The fight or flight back in full force. He knew that it was irrational to feel _This_ way, he'd already married her, legally, what's the matter with a ring? His guts felt sour, it was a physical reminder of, well, his obsession with the stupid girl. He swallowed back that bitter taste of fear rising in his throat and stepped closer to her.

He reached for the damned ring, holding it between his thumb and finger. It was obviously a mans wider wedding band. It was shiny and slightly scuffed, but plain enough. His forced his hand to move, sliding the ring onto his finger, ignoring the panic screaming through him. Once it was fully on his finger, it didn't feel so bad. he looked at his scarred hands, stained with greasepaint and god knows what else. It didn't look too out of place. He frowned and then smiled.

"Never thought I'd live to see the day." he trailed off.

She was all smiles, though a few black laced tears had escaped her eyes at some point. The trail they left making her made up face all the more haunting. He pulled her up to his body, she latched onto him instantly.

"No more crying, you'll stain the suit." he heard her laugh.

Joker was pacing again, now he walked the floor and twisted the damned ring around his finger. It made him angry that it helped calm him down slightly. It was dark, almost time to start the show properly. He moved to the small mirror and checked his appearance, he was as dashing as ever. His make up smudged slightly from his romp with his _wife_. The word still felt weird. He turned to look at her, her fishnets were a bit worse for wear, small bits of his grease paint smeared across her chest and neck. If you looked close enough you could see bite marks as well. He liked the look of them on her skin. Her make up looked slightly smudged, but still perfect.

"Lets get in place, the fireworks should start soon." he said, looking at his watch.

They left the trailer and moved to the backstage area, it was still very dark back there. They crept along and waited for the scream of the fireworks. They didn't have to wait for long. The small welcome speech ended, and the show was starting. Joker pulled Peach up to the center of the stage with him to watch the start of the colorful explosions. When the show started to slow down, Peach moved to the right of the stage, still visible, but not center stage with him.

Joker waited as the light show ended, the crowd cheering and seeming to enjoy the show, completely unaware that he had designed it. The bright flash of the spotlight blinded him for a second, he didn't let it stop him. He stepped forward and addressed his very _captive_ audience.


	24. Chapter 24

**A/N: well, this is it, the bittersweet end of this crazed idea. I have an idea that I need to pursue for a second part. When I have a solid start, I will let you all know by posting a preview here, so make sure you have the story alerts on if you want to know in the future.**

* * *

_~time flies when you're falling down,_

_I spread my rot all over this town,_

_And everyone of you looks the same,_

_And everyone of you feels the same~_

_~Hole~_

* * *

"Ladies and Gentlemen of Gotham, thank you for coming to my_ shindig_."

The gasps and screams were music to his ears. His men were lined around the edges of the large amphitheater, making sure they all stayed put.

"Settle down now, no need to try to leave, I _personally_ invited you all here to my welcome back party." He paused to enjoy the crowd's sounds of despair. "I have been out of the game for a few years, and I am ready to make up for lost time."

The crowd had fallen mostly silent, only the random sobs could be heard. Joker took that as a good sign, he had their attention.

He smiled, "I know surprise parties aren't for everyone, but trust me, this one will be to _die_ for."

The cries from the crowd picked up, he was having way too much fun. He held up his hands to shush the crowd.

"Before I get to _my_ gift to the city, I want to catch you up on what's been going on in my life. I've gone through some very _big_ changes. I have been neglecting you all, and for that I am _deeply_ sorry. No need to fret anymore, I'm back, and sorry to disappoint ladies, I am _officially_ off the market."

Gasps moved through the crowd. He would _like_ to think it _was_ disappointment at him being married, but he was sure it was because he had found someone to love him. He put his arm out for Peach. She skipped over and kissed his cheek. More gasps. Peach gave them a dirty looked and skipped back to the side, though not as far.

He turned to look at his audience. "I _think_ you hurt the wife's feelings. That wasn't very nice." He scolded.

Joker smiled then, snapping his fingers. His men moved through the crowd. Joker had given the men gas masks, though he was almost positive it _wouldn't_ save them. It made them feel better about what they were about to do. Explaining they would have to smash the slightly larger bottles on the ground.

"I have tried over these last few years, to _enlighten_ you all. To _show_ you the error of your ways." he paced the small stage. "I come back to the city to find the vast majority of the _free_ citizens of Gotham, enslaved to the devices they held. I helped free you from _that_ little snare. You spread that cure through the cyber networks all by yourselves. I couldn't be more _proud_."

The crowd looked confused. Perfect.

"One _juicy_ story, and you spread it around, unknowingly of course. For that, I thank _you_." He laughed. "Now that you all are free, _physically_, I want to free you _mentally_. I want to take away all of the brainwashing done to you by society. I want to free the primitive side of you all. So as a wedding gift to my _bride_," he gestured to Peach. She grinned back like a mad woman "you all, my select group of Gothamites, will be given the gift... of ….. _freedom_."

He turned looking over the crowd. "Well, I hate to, _uh_, eat and run, but this is technically my _honeymoon_."

The spotlight cut and the vials were thrown. A cloud of pink filled the seats. Joker turned to Peach, seeing she was recording the whole thing on her phone. She was watching, eyes lit up in delight. She looked grotesquely _beautiful_. Screams brought his attention back to the crowd. The pink cloud was mostly gone. The people, all of them, had large grins pulled into their faces. Some screamed, some hunkered down onto themselves. And better yet, some of them attacked.

He felt down right _giddy_. He watched how even his own men had changed, he was almost sure it was the mist touching their exposed skin. Oh well, he watched the chaos that fell over the place. They were acting like wild animals now. One man, dressed in a three piece suit, was beating another man into unconsciousness, or maybe even _death_.

Another man had a woman pushed up against a wall, fucking her like his life depends on it. Joker laughed, turning to look at Peach. Her eyes were sparkling with amusement. This thing was her baby as well. They had pooled their resources and made this _beautiful_ event happen. She shut off the camera and moved to him.

"Was it everything you'd hoped for?" she asked him.

"It'll do." He said.

They walked to the edge of the stage and sat down, their legs dangling off the side. They watched, hand in hand as the crowd began to move towards the exit. Joker smiled. Just wait until the city got ahold of these beautiful people.

"The city is ours now, there is no more hiding." He ran his thumb along her knuckles.

She leaned her head onto his shoulder, "What do you want to do? It _is_ our honeymoon."

He looked down at her, "Honestly, I hadn't thought _that_ far ahead." She laughed.

They moved to stand up and walked to the side stage, heading back to the trailer. Peach grabbed her bag and they moved to leave. Most of the infected crowd had left. They strolled through the now abandoned park hand in hand. It was cute, like a date. Joker looked around at the rides. Lights and music still going, even though the carts didn't move. They pushed into the parking lot and walked up to the car. Ace was sitting in the back seat, pressing buttons on his phone, face serious. A few of the infected were milling around the parking lot. Joker got in and started the engine. Peach climbed in and the drove back to the warehouse.

Ace was silent in the backseat. Joker was humming a tune to a song only he could hear. Peach smiled. The tune sounded a lot like _'Hey Jude'_ by the Beatles. Peach pulled out her phone, beginning to type furiously on it.

Joker glanced over at her, "Whatcha doing?"

"Spreading the video." She said, not looking up from the screen.

"That's my girl." That earned a smile from her. He put his hand on Peach's thigh and squeezed.

They finally pulled into the warehouse, Ace was out as soon as the car stopped. Joker killed the engine and looked over at Peach.

"I, _uh_, don't think Ace enjoyed our _surprise_."

She chuckled. "He's good people, but he's too soft." She said.

"I _told_ him to take a vacation. Maybe he will now."

They got out of the car and walked up to the warehouse. It was eerily quiet without all of the men moving around. Ace was about to leave, carrying his bag when they stepped into the main part of the warehouse.

"I'm going to go ahead and take some time off like you suggested."

"See you when you get back." Joker watched the indecision on Ace's face.

"Sure thing, Boss." He turned to Peach. "See ya kid."

"Yea, see ya Ace." She said.

They were all alone. The warehouse was super quiet without all of the men moving around. Joker pulled her with him over to the couch. They snuggled in together and Joker turned on the TV. He found the news channel and smiled.

"_You've heard it here first Gotham. The terrorist known only as The Joker is back. This video was emailed to the station just minutes ago. We must warn anyone watching, the following video is graphic. We recommend children or those with weak stomachs to leave now."_

The video that played was a snippet of his talk of their honeymoon. The angle the video was from seemed like Ace had recorded it. Then the video changed, this was Peach's directing debut. And it was a _beauty_. The video cut to the reporter.

"_It has been reported that a large crowd of maniacs, all wearing grotesque smiles, are running wild through the streets of Gotham. Police are out trying to round up the group. They are advising citizens to stay indoors and do not let anyone into your homes. They are to be considered dangerous." _

Joker was ecstatic. This had worked out better than just killing them, like he had originally planned. This had them killing each other, and anyone who got in their way. He looked over to see if his wife was as excited as he was. She was asleep. He turned off the TV and stood up. He reached down and picked her up.

She snuggled her face into his neck and snore lightly. He walked her out to the car and tucked her into the seat. The drive home was long and silent, aside from the still snoring girl. He pulled up to their home and punched in the code. The gate whirred to life, letting them into the drive. Joker pulled the car up and into the garage.

He moved around the car and removed his still sleeping wife. He got to the door and opened it, the dogs were whining. He walked into the living room and put Peach on the couch. He moved back to the kitchen and let the dogs outside.

He made his way back to Peach and moved her up to their room. They were halfway up the stairs when Peach started to wake up. She nuzzled her face back into his neck and whispered into it.

"Didn't catch that." He said.

She moved and said again. "I didn't mean to fall asleep."

He moved them into their room. He tossed her onto the bed laughing as she squealed.

"Well, we were very successful. The city is in _chaos_." He was helping her untie her shoes. When he had them both off, Peach sat up to undress.

"I'm going to run a bath." She said pulling the coat off of her.

Joker said nothing, just watching her pull the clothes from her body. He felt strange as she stood there, nude, face still painted.

She looked at him, "What?"

He kept his eyes locked on hers. "You look beautiful."

He could see the blush spread across her chest and neck. She smiled and moved into the bathroom. Joker stood in the room, unsure what he should do. He finally turned and made his way into the now steamy bathroom. His shoes already gone, he stripped down. He moved to the very large tub.

Peach was already ducking under the sudsy water to wash her face. Joker watched as the move made her perky breasts poke out of the growing mountain of bubbles. She suddenly popped back out of the water, her face almost clean of the thick grease paint. Her hair plastered to her face.

He moved to get into the tub with her. He hissed at the lava like temperature of the water. He slid down into the water, bubbles all around. He followed her lead and ducked his head under, scrubbing his face clean. He popped back out of the water and flipped his hair out of his face, flinging water all over the floor.

He spit a stream of water at her. She hid her face and laughed.

"What?" he asked as he leaned back against the tub.

"Nothing."

She moved to get closer to him. They sat like that, wrapped in the bubbles and hot water, not talking. She noticed the bubbles starting to dissolve. She got up to move to the shower. Joker sat there, watching her wash her hair and body. The sight was something he would never forget. He'd never look at showers the same.

She was out and drying off when he stood up, the water just rolling off him. He pulled the stopper and got out grabbing her towel. He dried off and moved into the room. He was drying his hair and pulled on his shorts. The house was quiet, he looked in the bathroom and frowned. He could hear the dogs outside, but no sounds inside. Peach had snuck out. He resisted the urge to find her.

He tossed the wet towel into the bathroom and headed down to the living room. He still hadn't seen her. He walked up to the TV hanging on the wall. He didn't remember if it was already here or if Ace had gotten it. Either way, he was happy it was here. He wanted to check the news. He was nowhere near tired.

He found the news station and turned up the volume. They were playing footage of the aftermath of some of the horde he'd unleashed on the city. Their disembodied voices narrating the pictures on the screen. Joker watched the scenes, ignoring the droning from the reporters.

The city was in a panic. And all of the infected seemed to react differently to the drug. That was worth studying further. He made a mental note to talk with Peach about it. Some people weren't much more than wild animals. They fought, killed, raped, maimed, or whatever their primitive minds wanted.

Some looked for a place to hide, only violent if provoked. The city had captured most of _them_. They were shipped straight to Arkham. Then there were the _real_ crazies. They walked around looking like smiling zombies. They had turned to self-harm, clawing their own faces. Chewing their fingertips down to blood and bone. Everyone knows a parent shouldn't choose, but these were his _favorite_.

He watched the footage with rapt attention. The voices pulled his attention back when they said his name.

"_Joker has admitted that he was behind the recent cyber-attacks. The reasoning seems to be known only to the mind of the Joker himself."_

Joker nearly threw the remote into the screen at that. He had spelled it out, but they wanted to ignore _that_ part of his speech. Maybe he should have Cliff upload the entire show on the internet. None of this edited bullshit.

"_The most troubling thing I got from this entire debacle, is that The Joker would like us to believe he is married." _

Joker's eyebrows raised at that one. This was some older woman with a large glasses and her hair cut into a short bob. She looked angry, but that _may_ just be her face.

"_The Joker is suffering from a deep psychosis. He had brainwashed some impressionable young woman, most likely a kidnap victim, into thinking they are married. No person in their right mind would willingly marry a madman."_

Joker snorted, shows what that lady knows. He had tried his hardest to avoid Peach's affections, she was relentless. He muted the TV and just enjoyed the video footage. The city needed this cleansing. It had been corrupted by perverts and money hungry politicians. He lanced that right out, now the city could heal.

Peach walked up to his side and handed him a plate with a large sandwich. His stomach growled loudly at the sight. She took such good care of him.

"Eat up." She told him setting a cold soda down on the coaster on the table.

"Yes ma'am." He said digging into the food. He ate and watched her watch the TV.

"Anything good?" she asked pointing to the screen.

He took a long drink from the soda. He burped loudly and turned to answer her.

"_You_ are brainwashed and I am _unlovable_ apparently." He began to eat the rest of the sandwich.

"Well duh." She said laughing.

His eyes cut over to her, causing her to laugh harder.

"Well, _husband, _what's next?"

He chewed as he thought about it. What _was_ next? He honestly had no idea. He swallowed.

He shrugged, "I'm _open_ for suggestions."

Her laughter filled the room and he _hated_ how it made him smile.

* * *

**That's all folks... I'd like to thank everyone who left a review. bloodredrose, Dragoness8982, BellaYamYam, KyloRen'sgirl213, and guests, You are the MVPs! A special thanks to QueenMarie1345 She left a review or PM'd every chapter and kept me motivate to make sure I finished this.**

**LIke my last story, here is my song list.**

**Ch1 Nine Inch Nails - With Teeth**

**Ch2 Melanie Martinez - Pity Party**

**Ch3 Adema - The Way You Like It**

**Ch4 G-Easy - The Beautiful and the Damned **

**Ch5 Disturbed - The Game**

**Ch6 Avenged Sevenfold - A Little Piece of Heaven**

**Ch7 Breaking Benjamin - Breath**

**Ch8 Avenged sevenfold - Bat Country**

**Ch9 Insane Clown Posse - Hate Her to Death**

**Ch10 Alien Ant Farm - Movies**

**Ch11 YungBlud - Medication**

**Ch12 YungBlud & Halsey - 11 Minutes**

**Ch13 In This Moment - Sick Like Me**

**Ch14 Nine Inch Nails - Kinda I Want To**

**Ch15 Papa Roach - Forever**

**Ch16 Nine Inch Nails - The Perfect Drug**

**Ch17 Korn - Coming Undone**

**Ch18 Insane Clown Posse - Hate Her to Death**

**Ch19 Pearl Jam - Once**

**Ch20 Machine Gun Kelly - Rehab**

**Ch21 Serj Tankian - Blue**

**Ch22 Hole - Asking For It**

**Ch23 Taylor Swift - Cruel Summer**

**Ch24 Hole - Garbadgedman**


	25. Chapter 25

**The sequel's first chapter is officially out. The story is called Laugh lines. The first chapter is just a catch up type, but the story will pick up pretty quickly. **


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